Indy - Sept. 13, 2023 Vol 31. No. 36

The weather is cooling off — but artists, stages and galleries are just heating up

FALL ARTS PREVIEW 6

Our mission is to deliver the truth, build community and engage citizens.

PUBLISHER

Fran Zankowski

COVER DESIGN BY Zk Bradley

EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Bryan Grossman

MANAGING EDITOR Helen Lewis

COPY EDITOR Mary Jo Meade

SENIOR REPORTER Pam Zubeck

CULTURE REPORTER Nick Raven

CONTRIBUTORS

Rob Brezsny, Bill Forman, Jim Hightower, Clay Jones, Matthew Schniper, Andrew “Shaggy” Warren

ONLINE CONTRIBUTOR “Hiking

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Nick Raven As a small, independent news organization, we rely on our community of readers to keep fearless reporting in Colorado Springs. The Indy is a publication of Citizen-Powered Media. Our mission is to deliver the truth, build community and engage citizens.

CURTAINS?

City Auditorium project put on ice as nonprofit pulls plug on renovation plans

BY PAM ZUBECK | zubeck@csindy.com

THE CITY’S 100-YEAR-OLD

City Auditorium has entered another era of limbo after a nonprofit’s ambitious plan to overhaul the Downtown facility was withdrawn in August following a failure to attract enough investment for the $86 million project.

The Colorado Springs Community Cultural Collective, headed by longtime performing arts instructor Linda Weise, announced Aug. 29 it would cancel its agreement with the city. Weise later told the Indy that “institutional funders” never came through with donations, saying they wanted to see the city put “skin in the game” before committing large sums.

That means the building, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, has an uncertain future, notably because Mayor Yemi Mobolade, who took office in June, told Weise the facility wasn’t an immediate priority for his administration.

That said, Mobolade’s Deputy Chief of Staff Ryan Trujillo said in a statement that the city “does not desire for the City Auditorium to become vacant indefinitely and is committed to assessing the options and next steps for this space.”

City spokesman Max D’Onofrio tells the Indy the city has hired a consultant to conduct a feasibility study of the CSCCC’s 51-page business plan with a report due within 45 days.

CITY AUDITORIUM, BUILT IN THE

Classic Revival style, was completed in 1923 at a cost of $424,910 — $7,595,974 in today’s dollars based on inflation only.

A plaque over its entrance states, “USUI CIVIUM DECORI URBUS,” which translates to “For the use of the people and the glory of the city.”

It initially was used for concerts, theater performances and graduations. The 1940s saw the building host wrestling and boxing matches, PeakRadar.com reports. Built to accommodate a large theater pipe organ, used for silent movie accompaniment, The Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ was shipped from Tonawanda, New York, to Colorado Springs in November 1927. The organ was used for brown bag lunch recitals for years, most recently this summer.

City Auditorium has hosted an array of events, including the Metaphysical Fair, trade shows, roller derby matches, meetings, parties and concerts. The Lon Chaney Theatre on the auditorium’s east side staged plays featuring local actors.

Fittingly, the city’s longest-serving mayor, Bob Isaac, who served from 1979 to 1997, was honored with a memorial service at City Aud after his death in 2008.

In 2021, Weise proposed the city allow the CSCCC to overhaul the facility and eventually own it. The estimate at that time — to carve up the gym area into a smaller venue while adding a floor for studios and drama spaces and a basement main stage and commercial speakeasy — came to $53 million.

But after Weise and then-Mayor John Suthers signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Sept. 1, 2021, Weise had difficulty raising money. The nonprofit was handed $2.5 million from the

city’s share of American Rescue Plan money and raised another $1.5 million.

The MOU called for the city to transfer ownership of City Auditorium to CSCCC “subject to terms and rights which remain to be negotiated,” if the parties to the agreement were “satisfied with the probable success of this project.” The MOU required the money to be raised before ownership would transfer.

The MOU also noted that the CSCCC “is solely responsible for the costs associated with the completion of its obligations” and that the nonprofit “agrees that the City is not obligated to contribute any funds” toward the project.

AFTER FAILING TO REACH THE

first milestone — by identifying sources for donations of $5 million within six months — the MOU was amended in March 2022, extending the deadline to Aug. 31, 2022. The CSCCC fell short of the second milestone: to “provide proof to the city of the total fundraising requirement” of $53 million, and a second amendment was executed in December 2022. That required CSCCC to prove that within three years it could raise $85 million, a revised cost estimate that Weise blamed on inflation.

The second amendment also required the city to allot $250,000 in tax dollars for the facility’s 2022 operations, stipulating, “The Parties further agree that the City is under no obligation or requirement to make any such future contributions.”

The amendment also imposed reporting requirements and called for CSCCC to provide an updated business plan and funding strategy within six months. That business plan, dated March 2023, is now

under review by the city’s consultant. CSCCC begins that plan with an overview that has the auditorium being placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1955 — 30 years earlier than the local Historic Preservation Alliance and other sources report. (Weise didn’t respond to an email asking about the 1955 date.)

Regardless, the CSCCC asserted, “This transformative reimagination will bring the building into the 21st century as a hub for arts, culture, and creative workforce in the heart of downtown, creating a social energy and building a city identity.”

The path forward, as the business plan specifies, was to make the auditorium sustainable through usage seven days a week for performances, education and workforce training. (The workforce programs have thrived, Weise says, and she’ll continue to run those culinary, theater arts and day care trainings elsewhere.)

But the big donors never materialized.

“Very early on,” Weise says, “people made it very clear that, despite what the MOU says, they were not comfortable donating money to a city building with 98 years of deferred maintenance.” Simply put, she says, large funders’ gifts would be contingent on the city’s financial participation.

“What I didn’t anticipate was the hard line in the sand that the donors would draw,” she says.

Large donors named by Weise at the start of the project were the following foundations: El Pomar, Anschutz, Bee Vradenburg, Daniels, Ent Credit Union, GE Johnson, Lyda Hill and Myron Stratton, among others.

During an Aug. 31 interview, Weise didn’t identify which ones backed out. But apparently El Pomar had never committed to give money. El Pomar spokesperson Erin Hannan says via email that the foundation was interested in learning more, but “did not indicate a commitment to financial support.”

IT’S WORTH NOTING THAT THE March 2023 business plan calls for “funding from city and state government,” though specific sources are not named.

The business plan also lists only one weakness: “Growing suburban areas deter attendance at downtown activities.”

But several factors are listed as “threats,” the plan said, including inadequate funding, a failure to act that would increase the renovation and operational costs while also “creating a massive liability for the city,” and criticism from

The fate of historic City Auditorium is unknown now that plans to overhaul the facility have been abandoned.

other local performing arts venues “who view City Aud as unfair competition due in part to its status as a city-owned asset.”

The plan was based on half the funding, or $42.5 million, coming from “public funding.” The other half would come from donations and sponsorships from corporations, individuals, foundations and “Centennial Society” members, a campaign to raise funds in exchange for room and building naming rights.

The business plan also presented annual operating budgets for 2024 to 2026 that showed spending at $1.755 million a year, but only $105,000 a year coming from operating revenue. The balance was to come from “contributed revenue,” or fundraising and/or grants or government allocations.

For 2027, the budget forecast total spending at $15.25 million, with half coming from rental revenue, fees and “other” revenues, and the balance from partnerships and donations, of which $500,000 was “government support.”

In 2022, the facility generated $26,639 in revenue and drew nearly $3 million in

donations, the business plan said.

Through July this year, the auditorium hosted 182 events that generated $99,000, less than a quarter of the expected $455,000, according to a quarterly report dated August that the city received on Aug. 14.

The quarterly report ends by saying, “When renovated and repurposed, the City Auditorium will once more become a vibrant community space. Before renovations can begin, the growing safety and liability concerns created from neglect must be addressed. The City of Colorado Springs must be prepared to further invest in City Auditorium....”

Adding to the project’s precarious financial situation was the occupant limit imposed by a Jan. 13 city fire marshal’s inspection, Weise says. Event attendance in the gym was limited to 529 if people were standing; 263 for theaterstyle seating, and 160 people with tables and chairs, she says.

“We were more and more limited to what we could do inside the building, and we were subsidizing the activities and not able to generate the revenue we

needed to sustain it,” she tells the Indy, adding that she believes those limits were exceeded when the city managed the building.

Asked if her plan was simply too ambitious from the start, Weise says, “I would say it was more a situation of not expecting donors to play such hardball.”

THE PROJECT’S FINANCIAL PERIL drove Weise to seek help from Mobolade recently, but he declined to “engage in this conversation at this time,” she says.

Asked about that, Mobolade says in a statement, “In a meeting on Aug. 17, the CSCCC asked me for an additional $20

million-$40 million. However, my first priority is to our residents and the continued pursuit of providing excellent city services in the areas of our public safety, parks and infrastructure.”

Thus, the building’s future is hazy. As Trujillo said in his statement, “There is no question that this building has unique needs and historic features that impact its usage and future.”

Whatever lies ahead, it’s likely to cost the city.

Weise says to bring the building up to code would cost $30 million. Simply tearing it down carries a price tag of $4 million.

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Linda Weise says it’s “...a situation of not expecting donors to play such hardball.”

[The city] is committed to assessing the options and next steps for this space.

— Ryan Trujillo

STATE OF THE ART

Colorado Springs’ arts leaders reflect on the local creative scene heading into Arts Month

BY NICK RAVEN | nick@csindy.com

IT’S A LATE AUGUST MORNING, THE DAY after Art 1eleven Gallery’s closed for good, when the Indy meets with owner Robin Schneider for breakfast.

The sun is bright and so is Schneider’s perpetual smile, despite the recent fate of his business. Following a decade of curating art in a prime Downtown location facing Acacia Park, Schneider had to begin borrowing money from his mom to keep his gallery’s doors open. But he started to get an especially bad feeling about his business last fall.

“This year has been dead,” Schneider says. “I complained about it last year to the Downtown Partnership and they’re just like, ‘Oh, it’s just winter.’ And I was like, ‘No, this is different. It’s a different feeling.’ We still had attendance, but nobody was buying. That’s a problem.”

Schneider says he spoke to other gallery owners who said they were having problems drawing traffic, too. Downtown Partnership hired a consultant to diagnose the issue and even offered to explore grants this past spring — but it was too little, too late. Even with a generous landlord covering Schneider’s February rent, nothing was going to bring in money quickly enough to keep Art 1eleven open.

The award-winning gallery was known for its inclusive curation and the owner’s larger-than-life personality, so its demise is ominous, like a dead canary in a coal mine.

Schneider has mulled why his business ran aground. He notes the explosion of non-creative businesses competing for attention Downtown on First Friday — when galleries tend to garner the largest crowds — or the fact that as a sole proprietor, he was economically vulnerable compared to co-ops that can split financial risks and rent hikes among multiple members.

Ahead of the city’s October celebration of Arts Month, the Indy spoke with several local arts leaders about the state of Colorado Springs’ growing creative scene. Is Art 1eleven’s closure a forecast of rough seas ahead, or the gritty reality of a maturing creative industry?

JUST A BLOCK WEST OF ART 1ELEVEN ON EAST

Bijou Street — itself a growing cultural strip — members at the new True North Art Gallery co-op are glowing with excitement.

“The focus is really on supporting the artist here so they can succeed on their own — working collectively as opposed to being in a void. We only do as well as everyone else in the room does,” says Jasmine Dillavou, a member artist. “We can show what we want; we can work collaboratively; we can host our own events here.”

True North pitches itself as a modern gallery for midcareer artists. Friends and local artists Marisa S. White, Skylar Call and Melissa Porter dreamed of starting their own gallery in late 2019, but the COVID pandemic put their pie-in-the-sky ambitions in the freezer. Earlier this year, the right space coalesced with the right time and the right people to make True North a reality.

“We started talking about it around the second week of January,” says White. “By Feb. 6, I think it was, we had signed the lease.”

A fundraiser in March allowed them to remodel the space for an April First Friday opening.

“It feels very overnight,” White says, now nearly half a year after the gallery’s debut. “It’s so heartwarming to have people come in and be like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe this is here in Colorado Springs.’”

There are plenty of co-op galleries across the region, but True North doesn’t just boast about its unique roster of artists, but also the fact that it doesn’t charge a commission on sales. While the gallery still charges rent for wall space, its monetization is unique. The artists reel in passers-by and fans alike while the business model rewards sales. This allows the co-op to worry less about the gallery’s day-today financials and dream more about the art community

Despite losing his gallery, Robin Schneider never loses his smile.

Nick Raven

they want to see grow around them.

“I’m sure that most artists are discouraged at a very young age to pursue a creative career because it’s not safe,” says White. “It’s very risky.”

“There are so many artists in Colorado Springs [that are] hidden away,” says member artist Kevin Still. “People don’t even know that they’re there. There’s so many and there’s no space for [them]. There needs to be more galleries.”

While True North advocates for local talent, it’s also gently pushing for something else that comes with a maturing, inclusive art community: gentrification.

Gentrification is a term that carries a lot of baggage, but artists can’t make a living and a creative economy can’t grow if artists can only sell their works at a loss of time and money. It’s a high-tension balancing act between bringing in higher-income residents who can financially support local full-time artists, while not edging out long-time residents.

“Colorado Springs is not where it needs to be yet,” White says. “I do the bulk of my art business outside of the city, sadly. I can command the prices that I’ve set for my work in Denver, Park City, [Utah], or Miami.”

“When an art gallery opens, it changes the value of a community in a positive and negative way,” says Dillavou. “There are ways to navigate around it. Our hope is that by creating a space for artists, by artists, we can do better by and for the creative community.”

But this transition is not something new or on the horizon. The Art on the Streets program — among others — has been changing the face and character of Downtown Colorado Springs piece by piece for the past 25 years.

MICHELLE WINCHELL MEETS US IN ADAMAN

Alley, the recently rehabilitated space that hosted Revel: The Urban Arts Party on Sept. 9. Prior to the fundraising event, she shows us where a pair of 80-foot tables would go for the dinner, where a temporary Shannon Dunn mural was painted and where the El Mac mural by nationally known video artist George Berlin would be projected.

The event was $170 a plate and tickets sold out weeks before the party.

As the executive director of Downtown Ventures — a charitable nonprofit arm of Downtown Partnership dedicated to historic preservation, the arts and other public benefit programs — Winchell is also the de facto leader of the Downtown Colorado Springs creative district. This makes Revel and the funds raised from it a big deal.

It’s also a proud activation of AdAmAn Alley, which features artwork celebrating the group of local climbers who summit Pikes Peak every New Year’s Eve to set off fireworks as the clock strikes midnight. AdAmAn Alley contains some of the 300 pieces of art that Colorado Springs’ Art on the Streets program has brought to Downtown, which Winchell and Downtown Ventures are working to catalogue with a digital archive.

But installing art Downtown isn’t just about turning blank walls into murals or filling medians with sculptures, it’s about creating a sense of place and belonging,

Downtown, it’s another opportunity for people to have these daily experiences with art versus who visit Downtown occasionally.”

Art on the Streets and other art installations require Downtown Ventures to balance hiring talent from far outside the city and those employed locally while constantly raising funds and seeking out new, compelling locations for art, including some enabled by recent changes to PlanCOS that allow for murals along blank building façades.

“We’ve had a few projects come through where a property owner says, ‘Oh, because of this new code, I’m gonna add a mural to this project. Can you help connect me with artists? Or can you help give some guidance on how to proceed with that?’” Winchell says.

Winchell states that per WESTAF’s Creative Vitality Index, a broad interpretation of the creative industry, Downtown Colorado Springs boasts a rating six times that of the national average. She feels the distinction as she brings in groups touring from other cities, such as Chicago.

“[The arts are] energizing and it makes Downtown vibrant. It makes me want to do business here,” says Winchell, who grew up in Colorado Springs. “I’ve lived other places and I still feel like Colorado Springs has this uniquely collaborative art scene. If there are projects that I’m working on, or other people are working on, there’s this spirit of, ‘Oh, how can I help? How can I join that energy? How can I support this?’ And that’s not everywhere. That’s a pretty special thing to have.”

For the Revel dinner, the fireworks of El Mac’s AdAmAn Alley mural animated via projection.

Jasmine Dillavou (left), Kevin Still and Marisa S. White of True North gallery continued on p.

“When an art gallery opens, it changes the value of a community in a positive and negative way.”

— Jasmine Dillavou, artist

Nick Raven

Nick Raven

➔ continued from p. 7

THE WORKSPACE OF THE CULtural Office of the Pikes Peak Region may be small, but its floor-to-ceiling glass walls grant it an enviable view of the goings-on along Tejon Street near the El Paso County courthouse.

“There was a couple in their wedding clothes out there yesterday,” says Angela Seals, COPPeR’s new executive director. “They had just gotten married.”

Even with this ground-level view of the city’s moment-to-moment minutiae in the base of Plaza of the Rockies, it’s Seals’ responsibility to maintain a bird’seye view of the arts scene across El Paso and Teller counties. To that end, she ensures we have a physical copy of the region’s Arts Vision 2030 master plan.

Seals started at COPPeR in 2013, working her way up to deputy director under Andy Vick, the previous executive director. She left in April 2022 to serve as a consultant and was invited back as interim director in December following Vick’s departure, officially taking the reins as executive director this March. Since then,

she and her team have been thinking about very big, complicated things.

“I think it’s a really important moment because we’re in a really critical time historically in the growth of our city,” Seals says. “Things are changing around the arts community really fast. I’m also feeling really inspired about the role that the Cultural Office can play in the region in its next chapter. The creative sector is small here — and it’s not going to be the size of the military sector or the cybersecurity sector — but we do have a really important role to play.”

In late spring, COPPeR announced a pair of new hires to augment its vision and capabilities. Local artist Jeresneyka Rose was brought on part time to explore how the region develops creatives through K-12 programs.

“Who’s working in arts education in the 17 school districts and how are they connected to the arts groups that are also working with young audiences?” says Seals. “How are we supporting more equity and more power in arts education in K-12?”

Former Fulbright Scholar Dylan Crad-

COPPeR’s Angela Seals maintains a bird’s-eye view of the region’s arts.

Kira Whitney Photography

dock was brought on to explore the region’s creative economy and how it can plug into COPPer’s support internally and externally.

“[It’s not] just talking to the chambers [of commerce]. Internally, do we really know what’s happening with jobs in the sector,” says Seals. “Are they rising and falling? What jobs are available? What’s happening with art sales, art sale prices? How can we affect that? We’re going to be looking at what’s happening around the country to try to spur more economic activity.”

COPPeR is placing a huge emphasis on the need for the market to drive further development of the arts scene.

“We understand that we live in a very libertarian community, and we believe dependency on government funding and the [local nonprofit] foundations is a vulnerability for the arts community,” Seals says. “So, while those sources of funding should always be part of the sector, we think that the best solution is going to be in the market.”

Seals points out that it’s not just smaller galleries like Art 1eleven that are affected by rising rents locally and macroeconomic trends nationally, it’s bigger galleries as well. Connecting the arts community with economic supports will be vital to building and maintaining the region’s arts scene so it can achieve bigger goals and hire people. And this progress won’t be limited to Downtown Colorado Springs, Old Colorado City, or the Ent Center for the Arts, but in neighborhoods around the city and in small towns across the Front Range.

“There are programs for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the community that we’re not always plugged into [with] the arts,” says Seals. “Part of the creative economy program here is to build stronger bridges so that we know about those types of resources and how to recommend them.”

“WE GO BACK TO WHAT GENERal Palmer said about the founding of Colorado Springs and what he hoped to build here,” says Claire Swinford, executive director of the Bee Vradenburg Foundation, which supports local creative nonprofits through grants. “He

described a thriving community that was the most attractive place for homes in the West based on public amenities, private investment, and the arts. He’s describing an ecosystem in which philanthropy is not left holding the bag entirely.”

The need for diverse funding sources was driven home recently as the nonprofit Colorado Springs Community Cultural Collective, led by Linda Weise, announced it was pivoting away from its $88 million restoration of the 100-year-old City Auditorium because fundraising proved too challenging. As the Pikes Peak region’s population rapidly grows, the arts community and its associated entities are puzzling out how to grow alongside it, utilizing as many economic supports as possible.

“We need to grow faster,” Seals says.

But in an art scene that lives and dies by whether it can afford to pay rent or buy supplies, closures and changes are inevitable. As part of her work with the statelevel Colorado Creative Industries, which certifies and recertifies creative districts, Swinford has an even broader view of how communities craft the narratives that validate their arts communities and how important they are to their economies.

“I’m not going to say that the closure of one gallery or one theater is cause to exclaim that the sky is falling — but there are lessons to be learned from that,” Swinford says. “If we’re not taking the time to observe and think critically about what those lessons are, then that lesson is going to keep getting repeated.”

Schneider’s gallery is closed, although he’s looking to stay busy by diving back into the photography work that got him into gallery curation to begin with. But as the gallery has struggled, so has his health. In the past year, he’s suffered a series of temporarily paralytic strokes — and a slate of doctor’s appointments each day is going to take up a lot of his time.

Still, the regular sight of him sitting on the bench across from his gallery puffing on a cigar as he watches art lovers come and go, will be missed.

“Someday when I’m dead,” Schneider says, “they’re gonna erect a statue right there.”

2023–2024 THEATRE SEASON

Mainstage | Oct. 12–29

Second Stage | Oct. 28–Nov. 19

Mainstage | Nov. 30–Dec. 31

Mainstage | Feb. 15–March 3

Mainstage | May 2–June 2

Second Stage | March 2–24

Based on the Stephen King Novel

Based on the Mo Willems book

“I’m not going to say that the closure of one gallery or one theater is cause to exclaim that the sky is falling, but there are lessons to be learned from that.”

— Claire Swinford, Bee Vradenburg Foundation

KING OF THE HILL

BY

IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT anyone told David Siegel his new job would be easy.

As the newest executive director of UCCS’ Ent Center for the Arts, Siegel has had to guide the state-of-the-art performance venue out of a pandemic that kept crowds at home, then masked, then socially distanced on-site. The venue serves as the home for UCCS’ Theatreworks professional theater company and its Galleries of Contemporary Art, while also helping to serve the mission of educating students on theatrical and live productions. Siegel, in addition, is responsible for helping craft the identity of the massive $70 million undulating silver arts box, which was barely two years old when pandemic lockdowns began.

“The Ent Center is thriving,” Siegel says. “We thrive and we succeed when somebody comes to a performance or visits our gallery and says, ‘That was great,’ and tells their friends about it. We have to remind people that this is something they really enjoyed doing.”

As a trustee of the Bee Vradenburg Foundation — a nonprofit that provides grants to other local creative nonprofits — alongside his other board member ships, Siegel has plenty of skill in con necting people to the arts, or their art to the world. He’s also a violinist and musi cian in his own right.

The results are looking positive. At the Ent Center, Theatreworks subscriptions have returned to pre-COVID levels, partly because UCCS student body outreach is a priority. With productions both promoted to and curated, in part, for

them, attendance has increased as students have returned to campus. Under the guidance of Theatreworks Artistic Director Caitlin Lowans, plays like King Hedley II highlighted the struggle of the Black diaspora in 1980s Pittsburgh while its gender-swapped production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew was a sharp take on modern gender roles. The theater company has even gone mobile by bringing its annual Free-for-All productions to regional public libraries and parks over the summer.

Beyond culminating with Martha Russo’s massive and organic Caesura exhibit, 2023 has also seen the Ent Center and the UCCS Visual & Performing Arts program bring GOCA back into the garage for retooling due to the departure of Daisy McGowan, longtime program director and chief curator. Part of this involved closing a satellite gallery in the Plaza of the Rockies Downtown in order to reallocate resources and return the focus to the Ent Center.

“It’s a really different arts community Downtown now than it was 10 years ago, so we feel like we’re leaving it in a really good place,” Siegel says of the creative district. “It’s not a consolidation out of necessity, but a consolidation out

Looking beyond his venue, Siegel is surprised at how much the local arts community has grown over the past decade. Through its programming, the Ent Center seeks to spark conversations without feeling the need to compete with the Pikes Peak Center Downtown, the incoming Sunset Amphitheater in Northgate or other First

Friday events around town.

He also applauds the development of the local professional art sector, helped in part by the Ent Center’s mission to educate UCCS students on artistic production.

“We have professional administrators and production staff [locally] that will be the foundation for a thriving arts community over the next 40 years,” he says.

Siegel and his team want to continue to open their venue to the public: In 2022, they hosted 460 individual events, most of which weren’t in-house productions. So, does this mean high-profile live acts like Chris Rock, David Spade or

Metallica will land at the Ent Center? Maybe, maybe not.

“Ultimately, our purpose is to ensure that when you come and sit down in a seat in the Shockley-Zalabak Theater, you leave inspired,” Siegel says. “I think in five years, we are a hub for the most engaging, exciting, relevant artwork in the community. I think that that collision of the very best creative work from around the country interfacing in a state-of-the-art venue with the very best local talent… I think there’s a spark there. I think that would be this building fulfilling its purpose.”

“I think in five years, we are a hub for the most engaging, exciting, relevant artwork in the community.”

Executive Director David Siegel is helping the Ent Center for the Arts craft its identity

NICK RAVEN | nick@csindy.com

Allison Daniell, Stellar Propeller Studio

Ent Center for the Arts Executive Director David Siegel

FALL ARTS CALENDAR

ANYONE WHO’S LIVED IN THE PIKES PEAK REGION FOR A while has seen changes in the pace of life here. It’s faster and more crowded. But along with growth has come greater depth and diversity in the area’s arts and culture offerings. And that’s a good thing.

To get you out into the arts world, we’ve built this jump-start mix of events, including offerings that encourage you to be a creator, not just a spectator. But once you’re out there we want you to stay connected, so we’re offering a monthly First Friday Artwalk preview (get it in your inbox by subscribing to our free newsletter at csindy.com/newsletter) and we’ve launched a new and improved online events calendar.

So put down the remote, load up on pumpkin spice everything and treat the region’s art scene as your very own creative buffet. Enjoy!

DANCE

DIY: Try out all kinds of aerial dance — hoop, fabric, sling, loops, trapeze and more — at Dragonfly Aerial Company’s (free!) Sept. 16 open house, 5780 E. Woodman Road, #140; 719-749-1459, dragonflyaerialco.com.

DIY: The Burly Scouts’ Burlesque Camp — “have you ever imagined yourself on the stage, surrounded by feathers, rhinestones and glitter?” Eight classes teach you how to bring a burlesque routine to the stage.

“All ability levels, body types, cultures, gender expressions, races, ethnicities, and ages (21 and over, that is) are accepted and celebrated!” Starts Sept. 24 and runs through Dec. 9; facebook.com/theBurlyScouts, tinyurl.com/BurlyScouts-23.

Derek Hough: Symphony of Dance, the three-time Emmy-winning choreographer and six-time Dancing with the Stars champion and his dancers are bringing bright lights, and fast-paced action to the Pikes Peak Center. Oct. 12 , 190 S. Cascade Ave.; tinyurl.com/Hough-dance.

Gaspard & Dancers, modern dance choreographer Gaspard Louis and his company are performing two of Louis’ new works, Noula and Sodo/Waterfall, and

older works from their repertoire, 27 and L’esprit Presented by Dance Alliance of the Pikes Peak Region. Oct. 13; Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave.; tinyurl.com/ Gaspard-dance.

Zikr Dance Ensemble, who present “works that include transcendent dance rituals from many different ancient world cultures throughout history.” Performing Initiation, including Tomm Ruud’s “miniature masterpiece” Mobile, and two premieres by Artistic Director David Taylor — Icarus After and Ripples in the Sand, “an abstract multimedia work set to the haunting music of Hans Zimmer.” Oct. 21; Sangre de Cristo Arts & Conference Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave., Pueblo; sdc-arts. org/exhibition/zikr-dance-ensemble.

Take Flight, excerpts from Swan Lake along with Under the Canopy and Fledglings’ Playground by Colorado Ballet Society, Colorado Youth Ballet and Connexus Dance Collective. Oct. 28; Colorado Springs School, 21 Broadmoor Ave.; danceinthesprings.com/performances.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Kyiv Grand Ballet, the prime dancers from the National Opera and Ballet of Ukraine — “takes the vibrant style of a Disney animated movie and sets it to the musical motifs

ARTS MONTH IS COMING!

October is National Arts & Humanities Month, and the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region is putting finishing touches on plans for the region’s very own celebration. The goal, as always, is for residents of El Paso and Teller counties to “have one new cultural experience with family or friends.” Stay tuned to the Indy and artsoctober.com for details.

of Polish composer Bogdan Pavlovsky.” Nov. 7; Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; pikespeakcenter.com.

When Night Meets Day, “Ormao as artists in residence at Pikes Peak State College for Fall 2023 culminates in this repertory show with professionally choreographed work connecting Ormao dancers with current PPSC students and alumni. Choreography considers time and place to meet the theme.” Nov. 10-12; PPSC Centennial, 5675 S. Academy Blvd.; ormaodance.org.

The Nutcracker, the holiday classic presented by Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Oklahoma City Ballet, Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale and regional student dancers. Nov. 24-26; Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; pikespeakcenter.com.

Once, a Malachi Page original. Presented by the UCCS Theatre Company, which “takes classic fairy tales — stories that have been recited to us since birth — and flips the narrative for a more contemporary audience.” Feb. 2-11; Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave.; tinyurl.com/ Once-uccs.

DANCE

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The Nutcracker, the holiday classic presented by the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Oklahoma City Ballet, Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale and regional student dancers. Nov. 24-26, Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; pikespeakcenter.com.

FILM

Pikes Peak DocuFEST, Humble Beast Productions’ inaugural DocuFEST, with

films by Colorado-based documentarians and selections from around the world, plus awards and prizes in seven categories. Sept. 22-23; Icon Cinema, 1818 Spring Water Point; filmfreeway.com/PikesPeakdocuFEST.

Heller Center Halloween Outdoor Movie Night, movie TBA. Oct. 5; 1250 North Campus Heights/UCCS; heller.uccs.edu/events.

Colorado Short Circuit 2023, an Indie Spirit Film Festival event with award-winning shorts from Colorado independent filmmakers — “comedy, drama, documentary, Women in Film, animation, music videos, experimental, horror/sci-fi, and more.” Oct. 6-7; Ivywild School, 1604 S. Cascade Ave.; indiespiritfilmfestival.org/csc.

Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, the longest-running women’s film festival in the Western Hemisphere returns to Colorado College for its 36th year with a slate of new films by, for or about women. Oct. 20-22; Cornerstone Arts Center/CC, 825 N. Cascade Ave.; rmwfilm.org. Preview party, Sept. 19 at The Well, 315 E. Pikes Peak Ave.

Warren Miller’s All Time, 74 years of filmmaking reimagined — “how, where and with whom we’ve made ski and snowboard movies since Warren first picked

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FALL ARTS CALENDAR

films from Sundance. Dec. 2; Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E. Colorado Ave.; indiespiritfilmfestival.org.

DIY: Wanna make your own short films or play with stop animation? Pikes Peak Library District’s Studio21c has the tools and expertise to get you set up and rolling — from pre-production to post-production. You can reserve the studio, which has a 90-degree green screen, a floor green screen, studio and 4k cameras, a sounddampening booth, light grid and more, and there’s equipment for checkout too. Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Drive; 719-5316333, ext. 1525, studio21c@ppld.org, ppld. org/create/studio21c.

PERFORMING ARTS

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FILM

Six Feet Under Horror Fest, the quarterly gathering “dedicated to ALL things spooky, creepy, and simply downright terrifying!” Submit your short creations (under 15 minutes) for this event by Sept. 22 (filmfreeway.com/SixFeetUnderHorrorFest). Oct. 8; RoadHouse Cinemas, 3030 N. Nevada Ave.

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up a camera in 1949.” Oct. 28; Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; pikespeakcenter.com.

Youth Documentary Academy, debuts of short film projects by Youth Documentary Academy students. YDA is celebrating its 10th year of teaching new generations to tell stories through film. Nov. 4; Cornerstone Arts Center/CC, 825 N. Cascade Ave.; youthdocumentary.org.

Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour & Indigenous Short Film Tour 2023, two collections showcasing all of the best short

A Night of Indigenous Comedy: Adrianne Chalepah (Kiowa/Apache). She played Reagan’s cousin Shannon in Peacock’s Rutherford Falls, and you’ve seen her in FX’s Reservation Dogs and Netflix’s Spirit Rangers. She’ll be joined by Jordan Jayi and Joshua Emerson on Sept. 16 at Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St.; tinyurl.com/AdrianneC.

KID STUFF: Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour, “Shout out your favorite vehicles, shake out all the wiggles, and OJ Twist your way through this brand-new musical party!” Nov. 12; Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; pikespeakcenter.com.

KID STUFF: A Charlie Brown Christmas, the stage adaptation of the animated classic. Nov. 13; Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; pikespeakcenter.com.

Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland, where you can be “dazzled by the acrobats, aerialists, hilarious hijinks and holiday cheer.” Dec. 13, Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.; pikespeakcenter.com.

PROSE & POETRY

Stop Procrastinating, presented by Pikes Peak Writers with Deb Courtney, who “will talk through the general psychological basis for procrastination, then walk through a variety of approaches to working through yours to finish the work that you never seem to get to!” Sept. 16; virtual; tinyurl. com/PPWriters. Join the group for Writers’ Night, Sept. 25 at Bar-K, 124 E. Costilla St. — “writers of any level get to talk about writing, rub shoulders with their peers, and lend their expertise.”

KID STUFF: Nature Haiku Class for Kids — drop your young poets (ages 7-10) off for an afternoon of creativity and connecting their five senses with writing. Saturday, Sept. 23; Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Peppergrass Lane, Fountain, tinyurl. com/epco-fun.

PROSE & POETRY

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Representatives from National Novel Writing Month will be on hand throughout November to offer strategies and encouragement for those determined to crank out 50,000 (!) words in 30 days.

Speech Bubble Book Club, aimed at teens and adults — “read and share your love for graphic novels and manga.” Sept. 28 (meets the fourth Thursday of the month); Florissant Public Library, 334 Circle Drive, Florissant; tinyurl.com/Florissant-graphic.

Poetry 719 Festival: First Wednesday Open Mic, all acts welcome. Haiku battle (if there are enough people) and a baby

PERFORMING ARTS

Courtesy FAC

Sasha Colby: “She’s the first drag queen to win both RuPaul’s Drag Race and Miss Continental.” With local drag artist Belzin Whistlez (Sammy Gleason), and regional drag artists Mario Wanna and Leia Trillz-Latrice Sept. 16; Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St.; fac.coloradocollege.edu/theatre-events/sasha-colby.

slam, but... “It’s not about the points, it’s about the poetry and the people.” Oct. 4, Bottles and Taps, 4763 Flintridge Drive; tinyurl.com/Poetry719-openmic.

Diné Poetry and Storytelling, with Diné writers and poets Esther Belin, Jake Skeets and Manny Loley, whose readings are part of a two-day, three-event exploration of the poetics of Diné writing and storytelling — all open to the public. Oct. 9-10; Gaylord Hall/CC, 902 N. Cascade Ave.; tinyurl.com/ Dine-poetry.

Heller Center Salon Series: Helen Davies, who “teaches courses in medieval literature and the digital humanities.” Oct. 12; 1250 North Campus Heights/UCCS; find readings at heller.uccs.edu/salons.

NaNoWriMo 2023, National Novel Writing Month starts Nov. 1, when writers around the world hunker down to produce 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. On Saturdays, 1-3 p.m., PPLD’s Rockrimmon branch will host national NaNoWriMo reps who will offer resources, strategies and encouragement. The kick-off party is Oct. 28, followed by sessions on Nov. 4, 11, 18 and 25; the Thank God It’s Over party is Dec. 2 . 832 Village Center Drive; see nanowrimo.org, and follow ppld.org/programs for Rockrimmon for info on Saturday sessions.

THEATER

Fine Arts Center Theatre Company: All shows at Colorado Springs Fine Arts Cen-

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FALL ARTS CALENDAR

along with the cult classic movie. Miracle in Mistletoe Town or Cooking the Books for Christmas Dinner (Nov. 17-Dec. 23), will real estate mogul Ivana Cringe replace the town department store with a burger franchise?

Springs Ensemble Theatre: All shows at The Fifty-Niner, 2409 W. Colorado Ave.; facebook.com/springsensembletheatre. Midge and the Butcher (world premiere, Sept. 28-Oct. 15), written by SET’s Quinn Smola — “Midge, a recently out trans teen, has been having some troubles with a former-friend-turned-bully.” The Seafarer (Nov. 30-Dec. 17) — “It’s Christmas Eve in Dublin, Ireland. In the rundown house where Sharky cares for his blind brother, old acquaintances gather for a card game — joined by an ominous stranger.” Annapurna (Feb. 1-18) — “After twenty years apart, Emma tracks Ulysses to a trailer park in the middle of nowhere for a final reckoning.”

ART EXHIBIT

Surface Gallery, 2752 W. Colorado Ave., 719-359-6966, surfacegallerycos.com.

De-code, a father/son show by Daniel Romano “combining painting and sculpture in unexpected materials and forms,” and “calligraphy-based art, spanning mediums of street art, paint, metal work, clothing and jewelry” by his son Foster. Through Sept. 29.

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ter, 30 W. Dale St.; fac.coloradocollege.edu/ theatre/#currentseason. Misery (Oct. 1229), “follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, and wakes up captive in her secluded home.” Balloonacy (Oct. 28-Nov. 19), “a red balloon drifts through the window of a solitary old man’s home. But then some serious silliness begins — with things fast becoming so magical and so blissfully fun.” Elf – The Musical (Nov. 30-Dec. 31) “Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole.” Water by the Spoonful (Feb. 15-March 3), “Somewhere in Philadelphia, Elliot has returned from Iraq and is struggling to find his place in the world. Somewhere in a chat room, recovering addicts keep each other alive, hour by hour, day by day.”

Iron Springs Chateau (Boo the villain! Cheer the hero!): All shows at 444 S. Ruxton Ave., Manitou Springs; ironspringschateau.com. All Trains Lead to Home or Training Spaces (through Sept. 23), “the evil Barnabas Brawl, new owner of the railroad, is making plans to bypass Pleasant Creek so he can buy all the properties for a song.” Rocky Horror Picture show (weekends Oct. 20-28), live actors performing

Theatreworks: All shows at Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater, Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave.; entcenterforthearts. org. Steel Magnolias (Sept. 21-Oct. 15), “invites you into the intimate world of a Black beauty shop in small-town Louisiana and the lives of the women who keep both the shop and the county running.” The Little Prince (Nov. 24-Dec. 7), “follows an aviator who crash-landed in the Sahara Desert where he meets a little prince who loves a rose from a distant world.” Dream House (Feb. 1-18), “after their mother passes, two Latina sisters turn to an HGTV-style home renovation show to sell their childhood home in a now trendy neighborhood.”

Prologue: Dody DiSanto, director of The Center for Movement Theatre is also is one of the premier clown teachers in the country. Oct. 1; Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave.; tinyurl.com/DiSanto-clown.

KID STUFF: The City Dog and the Prairie Dog, part of Creede Repertory Theatre’s Young Audience Outreach Tour. Oct. 3, 6 p.m.; Sallie Bush Community Building, 10795 Ute Pass Ave., Green Mountain Falls; tinyurl.com/greenbox-dogs.

Ghost Stories of Old Manitou, evening walking tours (the 28th year!) presented by THEATREdART and Manitou Springs Heritage Center wherein actors tell stories of real people from Manitou Springs’ history. Friday-Saturday, Oct. 6-27; 517 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs; tinyurl.com/ Manitou-Ghosts.

Gilgamesh, presented by Counterweight Theatre Lab — “King Gilgamesh discovers joy and loss which send him on a journey outside of the world itself to find the answer to the ultimate question: Why do we die?” Oct. 12-22 ; True North Gallery, 31 E. Bijou St.; tinyurl.com/counterweight-g.

Antigone, Sophocles’ classic tragedy — “A city on the brink of anarchy. A family torn apart. A woman ready to defy the law.” — presented by UCCS Theatre and Dance, directed by the Millibo Art Theatre’s Bergitta De Pree. Nov. 3-12; tinyurl.com/ UCCS-Antigone.

The Belle of Amhurst, a one-woman performance based on the life of poet

“VI” by Foster Romano

ALL PIKES PEAK READS

This year’s selection, The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line — Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of WWII by Mari Eder.

APPR is “Pikes Peak Library District’s annual community reads program that focuses on celebrating literature, improving community connections, and fostering dialogue across social, cultural, and generational lines.” Retired Army Gen. Mari K. Eder’s biography “takes you inside the lives and experiences of 15 unknown women heroes from the Greatest Generation.” Check out a copy at your neighborhood PPLD branch.

• Author visit with Mari Eder: Keynote address, Q&A and book signing, Saturday, Oct. 7, 3 p.m.; Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Drive; ppld.org/appr.

• Americans and the Holocaust, a complement to this year’s APPR selection, is “a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum that examines the motives, pressures, and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war, and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.” Through Oct. 11; East Library/PPLD, 5550 N. Union Blvd.; ppld.org/HolocaustExhibit.

• “Remembering for the Future”: Join “two nationally recognized experts as they guide us to a better understanding of our current situation and the recent rise in antisemitism. We can learn from our collective moral failures during the Nazi era about how to combat the new surge of antisemitism and other forms of hatred and genocide in contemporary society.” Guest speakers: Father John Pawlikowski, professor emeritus of social ethics and former director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies Program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and Scott Levin, Mountain States regional director of the Anti-Defamation League; Sept. 20, doors open at 6 p.m.; Celeste Theatre/CC, 825 N. Cascade Ave.; free, but registration required — thegreenbergcenter.org/remembering.

Emily Dickinson, set between 1830 and 1886 at her home in Massachusetts. Nov. 3-12; Millibo Art Theatre, 1626 S. Tejon St.; themat.org.

VISUAL ARTS

Art Walk with Green Box staff, learn about the town’s public art — and the artists behind the artwork — and stay for the sunset show at Skyspace. Sept. 23; Green Box Arts, Lake Street, Green Mountain Falls; tinyurl.com/greenbox-walk.

DIY: CLASSPORT, have you considered taking an art class, but don’t know where to start? This is the perfect time to meet Cottonwood instructors, check out the materials and techniques you’ll use, and see what our students have made in class. Oct. 6; Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E. Colorado Ave.; cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com/classport.

DIY: Clayfest 2023 involves competition (fastest bucket o’balls, blindfolded throw, matched set of four pots, aesthetic throw and more) plus free lessons on Sunday. “Prizes will be given and fun will be had.” Sept. 23-24; Soda Springs Park, 42 Park Ave., Manitou Springs; clayfest.com.

VISUAL ARTS SHOWS

45º Gallery, 2528 W. Colorado Ave., Suite B, 719-434-1214, 45degreegallery.com. Paintings and prints by Stephanie Moon and wood sculpture by Jim Bradshaw.

Academy Art & Frame Company, 7560 N. Academy Blvd., 719-265-6694, academyframesco.com. September shows: Miniature & Small Works, 12th annual judged show, in conjunction with the inaugural Massive, Big, Huge exhibit. Third Friday reception, Sept. 15, 4-7 p.m.

Anita Marie Fine Art, 109 S. Corona St., 719-493-5623, anitamariefineart.com. Past and Present, works by 30 artists who studied with Chuck Mardosz and Richard Dahlquist. Through September.

The Bridge Gallery, 218 W. Colorado Ave., #104, 719-629-7055, thebridgeartgallery. com. Works by Gary Weston, who uses recycled materials to create 3D pieces inspired by “Leonardo da Vinci and Jules Verne, as well as steampunk, sci-fi and space-age works.” Through September.

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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

BY BILL FORMAN

THE COLORADO

Springs Philharmonic has been experiencing a serious case of déja vu lately, and not without good reason.

It was all the way back in 2010 that the company undertook a year-long search for a music director to take over for Lawrence Leighton Smith, who’d served in that position for 11 years and was planning to retire at the age of 75.

After evaluating well over a hundred applicants, the search committee came up with a short list of finalists, who were invited to come to the Springs as guest conductors during the following season’s performances.

By season’s end, the Philharmonic had its new music director. Josep CaballéDomenech made his debut in that role back in September of 2011, leading the orchestra in a performance of Mahler’s 1st Symphony.

This year, the cycle began again. Caballé-Domenech, whose tenure as music director was the second-longest in the Philharmonic’s history, announced his imminent departure, and a new committee began the search for his successor.

All of which is no small undertaking, given the critical role that the music director plays in choosing repertoire, rehearsing and conducting more than seventy musicians, and shaping the musical identity of a local

institution whose origins can be traced backed to the 1920s.

And now, as the search is entering its final phase, a series of guest conductors will once again be taking their turns at the podium for the 2023-24 season, which will include music ranging from Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov to Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones. We recently caught up with Nathan Newbrough — who came onboard as president and CEO of the Philharmonic 15 years ago — to talk about the ongoing selection process, the upcoming season, and Caballé-Domenech’s farewell performance, which was, appropriately enough, Mahler’s final symphony.

As I understand it, each of the candidates for the music director position has chosen their own repertoire, which seems like it might lead to a more eclectic range of works than it would when one person makes all the decisions. To what degree have you found that to be the case?

One of the hallmarks of this orchestra is that no music is out of reach for them, so we felt absolutely comfortable asking each of the guest conductors to create their own program. And the results are so rewarding. Through their choices, they are expressing who they are as a musician and as a human. Their choices are dramatic and diverse throughout, including some of the finest raw talent from new composers, But they’ve also provided showstopper works that audiences are eager to experience.

How many applications did you receive this time around compared to last, and

how do you go about vetting them?

The search began last January, and we have received 254 applications from all over the world. That’s about 100 more than last time. It took a 14-member committee made up of Philharmonic musicians, board members, and community representatives to vet the applicants.

It hasn’t been easy for us to wade through such a large pool of talent, but we are persistent and focused on finding the right conductor with musical gifts, but also the chemistry and gravitas that our community deserves.

MASTERWORKS CONCERTS

Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts

Brahms

Ari Pelto conductor | Sept. 30 – Oct. 1

Tchaikovsky

Mei-Ann Chen conductor | Nov. 4-5

Rachmaninoff

François López-Ferrer conductor | Jan. 27-28

Beethoven

Carolyn Kuan conductor | Feb. 24-25

The Organ Symphony

Chloé van Soeterstède conductor | Mar. 23-24

Symphonie Fantastique

Earl Lee conductor | Apr. 13-14

New World Symphony

Rebecca Miller conductor | May 18-19

SIGNATURE SERIES

Ent Center for the Arts

Mozart and Prokofiev | Andrew Grams conductor | Oct. 21-22

Mozart and Haydn | Chloé

Dufrense conductor | Jan. 13-14

Price and Beethoven | Michael Repper conductor | Apr. 27-28

PHILHARMONIC POPS

Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts

KICKING OFF OUR 21ST SEASON!

SEP 16

“Aperitivo” Returns to The Garden

An extravagant garden party. Join Us!

OCT 7

The City Dog & The Prairie Dog

An interactive family musical with Creede Repertory Theatre

OCT 12-13

An Evening of Music And Magic

The Cory McDaniel Duo partners with ace magician Byron Grey

OCT 20-21

Playing For Ukraine

Music, Circus, and Song in support of frontline charity Ukraine Power

OCT 28

MilliBoo at The Millibo

Not too scary magic and treats for ghosts and ghouls of all ages

NOV 2-12

The Belle of Amherst

The poetry and life of Emily Dickinson with the incomparable Jessica Roblee

Personally, I would have used AI, but that’s just me.

Actually, YouTube was very handy this time, because all of the conductors could easily provide links to their videos. Last time we received mountains of paper applications plus DVDs and, yes, even VHS tapes. This time was much more efficient and paperless.

The audience may not notice this, but with each guest conductor we will be video recording them from the rear of the orchestra, so that we can see them from the orchestra’s point of view. This is important so that our committee can go back and review the performance after the fact. Last time, one of my favorite things was to watch one special moment: at the beginning of the concert — the instant after they bow to the audience and then turn around to face the musicians. What is the look on their face? Are they relaxed? Confident? Energized? Concerned? I may be the only one who cared, but to me it was a very vulnerable snapshot.

Josep’s final concert as the Philharmonic’s music director was Mahler’s 9th, a work that’s often described as both beautiful and terrifying. Do you remember how you felt the first time you heard it, and how it felt hearing it again in this context?

Mahler’s 9th Symphony creates a world of sound and emotion that is rarely heard or felt, so it’s no wonder that it’s so often chosen for the final concert of a music director’s [tenure]. The first time I

Marvel vs DC | Oct. 6-7

She’s Got Soul | Nov. 10-11

The Princess Bride | Feb. 9-10

Troupe Vertigo: España! | Mar. 8-9

Audience Mixtape: Carmina

Burana | Apr. 5-6

The Music of the Rolling Stones | May 10-11

HOLIDAY PERFORMANCES

The Nutcracker | Nov. 24-26 (Five Performances)

Christmas Symphony | Dec. 16-17

New Year’s Eve | Dec. 31

heard it in a live performance was under the baton of our music director Lawrence Leighton Smith in May of 2009. Larry was a dear friend and colleague of all the musicians, and we all knew how much it meant to him. This time, last May, performed by the Philharmonic with music director Josep Caballé-Domenech, was different but no less poignant.

That’s one of the great things about music performance. The music is different every time you hear it. The notes on the page may stay the same, but musicians and listeners are all human. And people change over time. Mahler’s 9th Symphony was the same in 2009, but since then the Philharmonic has evolved artistically. We as listeners are different than we were back then. That’s the substance and magic of music, and it’s what keeps me coming back over and over.

N OV 18-19

Bob The Extremely Large Pigeon

World-class puppetry for the whole family with Paul Mesner

DEC 8-9

Modbo Ho Ho

Adult laughs in a musical satire of all things Holiday

DEC 9-23

Santa's Elves Annual Talent Show

Big laughs for all ages with Songs, Circus, and Silliness

DEC 14-23

Yule Be Naughty...One More Time

Our evening Cabaret hugs the Holidays with Song, Circus, and Comedy

DEC 31

The Big Bubble Circus

Jim Jackson and friends celebrate New Year's Eve with Bubbles for all ages

OCT 7

NOV 18

DEC 2

The RiP Comedy Improv

Whimsical sketches with unscripted laughs

Gold Winner - Best Theatre CS Indy “Best of” 2022

The notes on the page may stay the same, but musicians and listeners are all human. And people change over time.

PLAYING AROUND

THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE at The Black Sheep

INDIE ROCK BANDS HAVE NEVER BEEN PARTICUlarly well known for diss tracks, but San Francisco’s The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Portland’s Dandy Warhols managed to get considerable mileage from their respective “Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth” and “Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth” contributions. Further aggravating matters was the documentary Dig!, which won Sundance’s 2004 Grand Jury Prize for its depiction of two bands whose early bonding over a shared love for ’60s psychedelic rock spiraled into an acrimonious rivalry of epic proportions.

The relationship did not improve as their career paths moved in opposite directions. The Dandy Warhols’ pop instincts led to heavy rotation on MTV, cellphone commercials, and an arena tour with David Bowie. The more garage-rock-inclined The Brian Jonestown Massacre, meanwhile, continued to tour gritty rock clubs in their van, with just a few higher-profile gigs opening for Oasis and a reunited Stooges along the way.

But if making music was the point, and by all indications it is, The Brian Jonestown Massacre have achieved their own kind of success. Bandleader Anton Newcombe kicked his heroin habit

WEDNESDAY, 9/13

9’s a Pair: The Fireman Band, rock covers; John Wise & Tribe, New Orleans R&B/blues/jazz/island ; Barefoot Family Caravan, psychedelic rock ; 6 p.m., Hillside Gardens, hillsidecolorado. com/upcoming-events.

Acoustic Hour, local musicians; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, bicycleresort.com.

Begley, Mock & Murphy, bluegrass; 6:30 p.m., Front Range Barbeque, frbbq. com/events.

Bonnie Raitt, blues rock, with Roy Rogers; 7:30 p.m., Pikes Peak Center, pikespeakcenter.com.

Red Room: Out the Shadows, hip-hop showcase, with A¢e.thefoo, JuHndrx, JuCaese, Zeezy, CosRoy, Saint law, Jevion Ice, Booof; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

THURSDAY, 9/14

Elton Dan & The Rocket Band, music of Elton John; 7 p.m., Stargazers Theatre,

many years ago, which most likely saved him from going the way of the late Brian Jones.

Earlier this year, he released a 20th The Brian Jonestown Massacre album, The Future Is Your Past, a must-hear collection that’s earned considerable critical acclaim, particularly in the U.K. Newcombe also runs his own label and studio, owns the band’s back catalog, and recently put out a collaboration with The Raveonettes, a Danish rock duo who’ve done their own part in keeping garage-rock revivalism alive.

And while it goes without saying that a group named The Brian Jonestown Massacre should have a very devoted cult following, it’s actually a much larger one than you might think from the size of the venues they play. The group’s early track “Anemone” has, seemingly against all odds, racked up nearly 80 million streams on Spotify.

“I heard this song once and became besotted by it,” said Anthony Bourdain, who numbered it among his all-time favorite songs. “It sounds like lost love, past lives, unforgiven mistakes and transgressions.” All of which can be survived, apparently, with enough talent, luck and persistence. — Bill Forman

stargazerstheatre.com.

Kyle Moon & The Misled, alt-country ; 8 p.m., Lulu’s Downstairs, lulusdownstairs.com.

Nerea The Fiddler, “crazy fiddle lady”; 7 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/ jackquinns.

New Brain for Arnie, funk, fusion, jam; 8 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

Reid Poole & The Night Owls, jazz; 7:30 p.m., Summa, dizzycharlies.com.

FRIDAY, 9/15

Blah Blah Blah; 7:30 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

Boogie Nights Disco; 8 p.m., Lulu’s, lulusdownstairs.com.

Crystal & The Curious, “whimsically sophisticated lounge music”; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, bicycleresort.com.

Meet Loaf, Meat Loaf tribute; 7 p.m., Boot Barn Hall, bootbarnhallco.com.

The Nadas, folk/Americana; 7 p.m., Vul-

tures, vulturesrocks.com.

Rage Is My Rival, metal, with Deathride, Blood Rose, Bloodmoon Sacrifice; 6 p.m., Sunshine Studios, sunshinestudioslive.com.

Rush Archives, Rush tribute; 7 p.m., Stargazers Theatre, stargazerstheatre. com.

The Springstown Shakers, blues; 6 p.m., Mash Mechanix Brewing Company, mashmechanix.com.

Swell, rock ; 9 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

Tribe, New Orleans R&B/blues/jazz/ island; 7 p.m., Summa, dizzycharlies. com.

SATURDAY, 9/16

Acoustic Eidolon, “passion on strings”; 7 p.m., Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts, trilakesarts.org.

Clay Cutler, country/rock covers and originals ; 6 p.m., Mash Mechanix Brewing Company, mashmechanix. com.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Saturday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m., The Black Sheep, 2106 Platte Ave., $25, all-ages, blacksheeprocks.com, tinyurl.com/tbjm-listen

Indy rock diss track masters The Brian Jonestown Massacre will bring their garage rock sounds to town in October.

Flash Cadillac, traditional rock ; 7 p.m., Stargazers Theatre, stargazerstheatre. com.

The McDeviants; Celtic pub music; 7:30 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

Mr. McMoney, funk/ jazz/progressive rock ; 9 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

Mountain of the Sun Music Festival, by Rocky Mountain Highway, with Joe Johnson & The Country Store Band, Lost Junction, Red Moon Rounder, 2023 Annual Steve Harris Songwriter of the Year contest winners; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Aspen Valley Ranch, tinyurl.com/ mountain-sun.

My Life as a Bear, alternative rock , with Letters From The Sun, Viewfinder ; 7 p.m., The Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

Pure Prairie League, country rock ; 7 p.m., Boot Barn Hall, bootbarnhallco. com.

Roma Ransom, bohemian psych-folk ; 7 p.m., Sustainable Educational Experience, tinyurl.com/SEE-Roma.

Sinister Records Fest, Dog House’s final event ; 7 p.m., doghousecos.com.

SofaKillers, covers ; 4 p.m., Gold Hill Mesa Community Center, goldhillmesa.com/community-life/events.

Suicide Cages, metalcore, with Moon Pussy, Cronos Compulsion, Eyes Of Salt; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks. com.

Josh Ward, “Lone Star honky tonk”; 6 p.m., Whiskey Baron Dance Hall, tinyurl.com/whisk-dh.

SUNDAY, 9/17

Colorado Jerk Festival, a culturally immersive Caribbean experience, with Skip Marley, Luciano, Mystic Marley, Inner Circle, D’Yani, Danae Simone, Tony Exum Jr.; 2-11 p.m., Flying W Ranch, tinyurl.com/Caribbean-Springs.

Iron Prophecy, reggae, with Coloso, Logan LaValley and Coronation; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Michael Reese, guitar; 1 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

Sightlyne, metalcore, with Flesh Digest, Leveler, In Your Grave, Violence In Vio -

BIG GIGS

Upcoming music events

King Krule, Ogden Theatre, Denver, Sept. 15

Dayseeker, Black Sheep, Sept. 15

Band of Horses, Boulder Theatre, Boulder, Sept. 16

Daniel Caesar, Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, Sept. 16

Kula Shaker, Bluebird Theater, Denver, Sept. 16

Rob Zombie, Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Englewood, Sept. 16

Saint Motel, Gothic Theatre, Englewood, Sept. 16

Kyle Moon & The Misled, with Stephen Lear Band and Tensas, Globe Hall, Denver, Sept. 16

Eric Clapton, Ball Arena, Denver, Sept. 16

The U.K.’s King Krule (Archy Ivan Marshall) plays Denver’s Ogden Theatre on Sept. 15.

Flume, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Sept. 13

Yngwie Malmsteen, Oriental Theater, Denver, Sept. 13

Kamaal Williams, Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, Denver, Sept. 13

Ravenscoon, Fox Theatre, Boulder, Sept. 14

Kyle Moon & The Misled, Lulu’s, Manitou, Sept. 14

The Revivalists, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Sept. 14

Jai Wolf, Mission Ballroom, Denver, Sept. 14

Jonas Brothers, Ball Arena, Denver, Sept. 14

Greensky Bluegrass, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Sept. 15-16

PLAYING AROUND

let; 5:30 p.m., The Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

Traditional Irish Music ; 3 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

MONDAY, 9/18

Colin McAllister and Trilix Jazz Trio, jazz; 5:30 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

TUESDAY, 9/19

Coolzey, hip-hop, with Bru Lei, Stoney Bertz, Saustro; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Manitou Strings, roots/Americana/ rock ; 6 p.m., Bancroft Park, tinyurl. com/classic-tues.

WEDNESDAY, 9/20

Acoustic Hour, local musicians; 6 p.m., Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, bicycleresort.com.

Countywyde, bluegrass; 6:30 p.m., Front Range Barbeque, frbbq.com/events.

Brandon Henderson Band, acoustic/ alt-rock ; 6:30 p.m., Jack Quinn’s, facebook.com/jackquinns.

Nube Nueve, Latin Jazz; John Wise & Tribe, New Orleans R&B/blues/ jazz/island; Westrock, country rock ; 6 p.m., Hillside Gardens, hillsidecolorado.com/upcoming-events.

Restraining Order, hardcore punk , with Gumm, Public Opinion, Pressure Drop; 7 p.m., The Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks.com.

THURSDAY, 9/21

Barely Garcia, Garcia/Dead covers ; 9 p.m., Armadillo Ranch, manitouarmadilloranch.com.

Ezra Bell, indie folk , with the Charlie Milo Trio; 7 p.m., Vultures, vulturesrocks.com.

Lamb Bed, hard rock , with Dirty Kings, Elevated Sickness, Penny Lane; 7 p.m., The Black Sheep, blacksheeprocks. com.

Drake Milligan, country ; 7 p.m., Boot Barn Hall, bootbarnhallco.com.

Jonathan Powell Quartet, jazz ; 7:30 p.m., Summa, dizzycharlies.com.

Soul School, variety ; 6 p.m., Creekwalk, creekwalkcos.com.

My Life as a Bear, Black Sheep, Sept. 16

Atmosphere, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Sept. 17

Flash Cadillac, Stargazers, Sept. 16

Wolfmother, Ogden Theatre, Denver, Sept. 18

Arctic Monkeys, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Sept. 18-19

KenTheMan, Bluebird Theater, Denver, Sept. 19

Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine, Boulder Theater, Boulder, Sept. 20

Sting, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Sept. 20-21

The Walkmen, Ogden Theatre, Denver, Sept. 21

Flux Pavilion, The Church Nightclub, Denver, Sept. 21

Local Natives, Mission Ballroom, Denver, Sept. 21

Continued at csindy.com

Kyle Moon & The Misled bring their alt-country/rock sounds to Lulu’s on Sept. 14.

Charlotte Patmore

THE ART OF THE PLATE

Eleven area chefs share their approaches to pretty presentations

BY MATTHEW SCHNIPER

OCTOBER IS WHEN WE OFFICIALLY CELEBRATE ARTS

Month locally, so consider this an amuse bouche, to whet the appetite for what approaches. Though I hope you’re finding ways to incorporate art into your life regularly, be that through appreciation of the culinary arts (why you’re reading this), engagement with the visual and performing arts, or some other method of celebrating creative expression.

My setup is simple here: I asked nearly a dozen area chefs — with diversity of culture, cuisine and expertise in mind — “What considerations go into beautiful food presentation? How do you approach your plating?”

I requested three to five sentences; some respondents were able to hit that while others wrote longer answers. But their content’s good, so I’m running most of it long.

I then reviewed photos from my last six months of dining out to select some of my own favorite plate presentations, gathering a couple other pics to round out a portfolio. Pay attention: Not all of the images correlate to quoted chefs. It’s all a hodgepodge here — my own artistic vision as the writer — and I didn’t want to restrict myself to coloring inside the lines. So just go with it, and join me in a curated feast for the eyes. Here goes:

JOHN KUESPERT

Executive Chef at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

When I approach the plating of a dish, many aspects of detail come to mind. Color palettes, textures, negative space, odd numbers, lighting and guest perspective are all elements I take into consideration. Different ingredients interact with each other in different ways, being intentional with your actions and placements in plating help bring your blank canvas to life.

MONSE HINES

Chef/Owner of Monse’s Taste of El Salvador and Sivar

I like to approach food plating with three considerations in mind: culture, connection and comfort. Firstly, food should tell a story; I like to think people are being introduced to me through my food and I enjoy sharing “who I am” with each dish. Secondly, I think plating reflects the amount of care invested in the preparation. Each plate connects you to people and they should “see” and “taste” the effort behind the food. Thirdly, I think plating should represent the devotion behind the dish. I try to approach each dish with the same comfort and care that I would serve to family and friends.

BROTHER LUCK

Chef/Owner at Four by Brother Luck, The Studio, Folklore Irish Pub

You eat with your eyes first and foremost. When I create a plate presentation, my mind wanders to what will the guest receive internally during their first glance. Is it height, negative space, colors, textures or movement? Was I able to trigger a memory or some type of soulful connection to the sensory experience? My goal is to always stimulate the mind before I reach your taste buds....

BETO REYES

Chef at Milagros Cocina Mexicana

I never approach plating with the idea that I have to make it beautiful. I approach my plating with the idea that it’ll make my guest uncomfortable in the beginning. And as they dig in, my hopes are that they find comfort and beauty in the attempt of taking that risk. Approach it from an angle that no one else is willing to come from. And do it anyways.

CHANTAL LUCAS

Chef/Owner at Luchals

Plating is truly in the eye of the beholder. A beautiful plate can change the perspective on how a guest sees your food. When you plate, you are ultimately putting yourself on display. There is no one standard to plating. Speak to your guest on each plate with how you want to be heard.

Broadmoor Farms’ Crudite & Colorado River Bean Hummus — Summit Chef de Cuisine Rocio Neyra Palmer

Fried queso cubes with tart guava dip — Chef Monse Hines at Sivar and Monse’s Taste of El Salvador

Hamachi sashimi with a caviar bump — Sushi Row Chef/Partner Zaya Altbish

Matthew Schniper

Matthew Schniper Matthew Schniper

IAN DEDRICKSON

Executive Chef/Owner at Ephemera Presentation of food in and of itself is multifaceted. There are layers of elements to consider. Think about ease of consumption (grilled romaine is pretty, but undeniably annoying to deal with on the plate); then, your typical artistic composition standpoint (color theory, visual weight, blah blah pretentious blah blah blah); and, most importantly, does it matter or affect the guest’s experience? A restaurant can put deeply creative thought into presentation that incorporates multiple senses. Artistically, I absolutely love all the “Chef’s Table” restaurants that take that idea all the way, but I simply don’t have the energy or resources or willingness to abuse my staff to accomplish it.

What’s most important at an approachable and accessible level is whether the guest is going to care at all about how high you stacked some undressed bitter microgreens or not. Or, will they simply be annoyed by the inconveniently sculptural nonsense? Does all that work add to an experience or is it just egotistically in the way? It’s crucial to remember not to take it too seriously in some artistic sense. It’s just food. Remember that what we do as chefs is a craft — a skilled trade — more so than an art.

At that, I love to encourage and be an active accomplice with my very talented team to create a “wow factor.” Humbly starting at pushing how pretty a plate can evolvingly be. In fact, I outright demand that every plate be outstandingly pleasant at first sight. After all, we eat with our eyes first.

NOAH SIEBENALLER

Executive Chef at Cheyenne Mountain Resort & Club

Early on in Culinary School, one of my instructors taught us that a beautiful plate should never be symmetrical and not contain even numbers. This has stuck with me over the years and has become a part of every plate I create, whether it’s a rustic presentation or an elevated presentation. We judge the taste of the dish based on the appearance of the plating. We assume it won’t taste good if it doesn’t look good.

JUSTIN MILLER

Executive Chef at The Broadmoor

Our chefs at The Broadmoor all have unique approaches on how they view their Culinary Artistry on the plate. First and foremost it starts with great ingredients and composition of flavor and seasonality. We look to incorporate variations of textures for highlighted ingredients to include cooked, raw and purées or sauces. We want to always consider that the guest first eats with their eyes. This is where our chefs get to enjoy the artistry of what we do for a living. Elevation and contrast of colors is important to consider when we create new content.

continued on p. 24

PAID

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719-577-4545

326 N. TEJON ST. | 719-228-6566 | TONYSDOWNTOWNBAR.COM

Winners of 70+ Independent “Best of Awards” in 20 yrs. A great Midwestern Tavern with warm beer, lousy food & poor service!!! Pabst, Fried Cheese Curds, Leinenkugle’s, Walleye Fish-fry, cocktails, burgers and more. 11am-2am daily. HH 4-6. GO PACK GO!

FUJIYAMA

AMERICAN ASIAN

22 S. TEJON ST. | 719-630-1167

Beautiful, award-winning downtown restaurant with a full-service bar. Enjoy authentic sushi & creative rolls, teriyaki, tempura, udon & more! See our ad or call for great lunch, Happy Hour, & Ladies night specials! Fri. & Sat. 11am-2:30pm lunch & 5-10pm dinner. Sun. 5-9pm dinner.

SAIGON CAFÉ

20 E. COLORADO AVE. | 719-633-2888 | COLORADOSAIGONCAFE.COM

Open for Lunch and Dinner Mon-Sat. Welcome to the Saigon Café the award winning Vietnamese restaurant in Colorado Springs. Our cuisine is cooked with fresh vegetables, herbs and meats in authentic Vietnamese style. Try our renowned noodle bowl, a lunchtime favorite. M-Th 11AM–3PM; 4PM–8:30PM F-Sat 11AM–3PM; 4PM-9:30PM

PAID ADVERTISEMENT • 719.577.4545

Panna cotta with honeycomb and crisp plus peach purée — Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Executive Chef John Kuespert

Roasted broccolini with Calabrian chili vinaigrette — Odyssey Gastropub Chef Andrew Borek

Dessert trio — the culinary team at Ephemera

Courtesy Ephemera

Matthew Schniper

Matthew Schniper

NATHAN POTTER

Teaching Kitchen Manager and Baking and Pastry Chef Instructor at The French Kitchen

BIRD DOG BBQ

3 LOCATIONS + CATERING | BIRDDOGBBQ.COM | 719-573-7671

Bird Dog now offers online ordering from the location of your choice! Order and pay online, then skip the line when you pick it up! Visit our website at www.BirdDogBBQ.com and click ORDER ONLINE to place your order. We also offer our award-winning catering services in individuallyboxed meals! Call 719-573-7671 for details.

BBQ CRAFT PUB

ODYSSEY GASTROPUB

311 N. TEJON ST. | 719-999-5127 | ODYSS EYGASTROPUB.COM

Voted Best New Restaurant 2015 by Indy readers. Specializing in an eclectic mix of craft food, craft beer, and craft cocktails. Odyssey Gastropub is a downtown gem with a warm, intimate atmosphere and awesome staff. Start your adventure with us! Mon.- Fri. 11am - 10pm, Sat. & Sun. 10am - 10pm

GERMAN

EDELWEISS RESTAURANT

34 E. RAMONA AVE. | (SOUTH NEVADA & TEJON) | 719-633-2220

For 50 Years Edelweiss has brought Bavaria to Colorado Springs. Using fresh ingredients, the menu invites you to visit Germany. Support local business! We’re open and doing drive-thru and takeout with a limited menu that can be found on our website! www. edelweissrest.com.

SOUTHWESTERN/MEXICAN

JOSÉ MULDOON’S

222 N. TEJON ST. | 719-636-2311 | 5710 S. CAREFREE CR @ POWERS | 719-574-5673

Since 1974. Features authentic Tex-Mex & Mexican fare in contemporary Sante Fe-styled establishment. Across from Acacia Park, and west of Powers & Carefree. Josemuldoons.com. Support local restaurants! We are open for delivery, carry out, and dine-in at both locations! Please check our Facebook page for hours daily, as they are subject to change.

STEAKHOUSE

THE FAMOUS 31 N. TEJON ST. | DOWNTOWN | 719-227-7333

Colorado Springs’ finest upscale steak house and lounge located in the center of downtown. Dine in an elegant and classic steak house environment. Award winning prime steaks, fresh seafood, premium wines, craft brews and piano bar provide a provocative mix of atmosphere and entertainment. Reservations suggested.

MACKENZIE’S CHOP HOUSE

128 S. TEJON ST. HISTORIC ALAMO BUILDING | DOWNTOWN | 719-635-3536

Offering half off all bottles of wine under $100! Voted Best Power Lunch, Steakhouse and Martini! Downtown’s choice for quality meats and mixed drinks. Mackenzieschophouse.com. Open Mon.-Fri. 11:30am-3pm for lunch, and 5pm- close every day for dinner!

Whenever I’m plating savory dishes, I like to pick ingredients that not only taste good together but have different colors, shapes and textures. Also, I am old school in my approach, insofar as taking quality ingredients and treating them simply — there are no gels, spheres or foams. As for desserts, I love when I have multiple components with similar color profiles, sort of variations on a theme. It gets even better when the desserts use one ingredient multiple different ways within the dessert. There is something inherently beautiful in unity in theme and aesthetic.

VICTOR MATTHEWS

Dean and Master Chef at Paragon Culinary School

My approach is clean. I may be from the same town as Emeril [Legasse], but I never garnish rims. I love negative space. My No. 1 advice would be negative space to frame the food. Light and tight. Wide rims, large plates. Also be careful with color. People like dark plates but the food cannot also be dark. I am a big fan of classic white plates, but if you’re going with color, make food the opposite color so they offset. Get yourself a color wheel. Only use edible garnishes, and base them on things in the dish. So, don’t garnish with cinnamon sticks or just throw rosemary on a dish that has no rosemary in it. So, for those folks who are like... “Wait a minute, I have this great dish and a cool stick of cinnamon is a perfect garnish”: Just make a crunchy spiced twill or cinnamon pirouline you lazy bones!

At Paragon, we train in presentation from the very beginning, but not to the detriment of taste. We want food beautiful because you eat with the eyes first, but we want the amazing flavors even more. I have unfortunately encountered many bland beautiful dishes throughout the world. So we teach presentations and many different styles, and we grade on that as well. Historically, most of the modern focus on presentations and styles therein dates into the ’80s with a new fusion of world cuisines and specifically the influence of Japan on the French chefs. The European chefs were always concerned with beautiful presentations, but the influx of Asian culture really forced a reevaluation and upgrade.

Vegan white bean and artichoke dip with crudité vegetables — Cerberus Culinary Director Mark LeFebvre

Sous vide duck breast, savory cornbread pudding, huckleberry jus, foie mousse, crispy duck skin shards, yuzu and orange pearls — Executive Chef Joe Rodriguez and team at The Club at Flying Horse

Courtesy Mark LeFebvre

Matthew Schniper

DAVID COOK

Chef/Co-Owner at Gather Food Studio

There is a special kind of je ne sais quoi that takes an empty plate and transforms it into a remarkable work of art. Before a knife ever touches the cutting board, food is felt. It’s an emotion, and conceptually it begins life as an abstract.

It’s a skill that’s practiced and constantly evolving — inspired by everyday occurrences like the way you see one leaf on a tree that has turned red amongst a sea of green ones that makes you think, “That’s kind of like how I want to plate that special I’m making tonight.” It’s the colors of life, the magic of nature, and the gift of using abstract ingredient realism tied together with cohesion, or unbound with deconstruction that allows for the eyes to eat first and make the determination of flavor before one morsel of anything crosses the plane of your lips and hits your tongue. It’s finding ways to use everyday ingredients and reimagining their potential to push boundaries and create new excitements. It’s about as close as you can get as a chef to the feeling an 8-year-old has on Christmas morning when looking at a sea of presents under the tree and not knowing where to start or which box to open next. That’s plating. It’s not just using colors to make a Bob Ross-esque painting. It’s not just creating height and depth using garnishes of different shapes and sizes. And it surely isn’t just deciding to use one edge of a plate while keeping the rest untouched and glimmering under the dimly lit lights of the dining room. It is, but it isn’t. These are all contributing factors, but plating isn’t something that can be summed up in a few sentences. Plating is the last pure form of individuality that the diner doesn’t see happen; they only see it delivered. For 20 years of my life the best part of my day was peering out the little tiny port window on the kitchen door and seeing the look on the patron’s face when presented with one of my creations. The 3-second look of awe and astonishment before the fork tines and knife serrations rip through essentially half a lifetime’s worth of my own experiences, thoughts, struggles, elations and amazements. It’s like the first couple seconds of the feeling when DMT hits (err... so I’ve heard from a friend), or the full-body release of endorphins, if you rather. But, but... unlike having to pay for that feeling, it’s free and available at least 100 times a shift. So, plating? Plating isn’t the protein at the 6 o’clock position, the vegetable at the 3 o’clock position and the starch at the 9. Plating is the aggregate of a career that most people will never get to experience. Plating is love that only a chef knows how to give. Go hug a chef.

Big Jerk pork chops with tropical rice, pineapple and mango — Chef David Cook at Gather Food Studio

Matthew Schniper

THE ARTIST SERIES PRESENTS

MARIACHI HERENCIA DE MÉXICO

ART & WORDS

Build Your Own Zine, make your very first, or get zines ready to sell or trade at the Oct. 7 Pikes Peak Zine Fest. Wednesday, Sept. 20, 4:30-6:30 p.m.; free, all ages; Penrose Library/PPLD, 20 N. Cascade Ave.; see tinyurl.com/make-yer-zine for more info. (Also, the Rona’s back? Wear a mask.)

FALL EQUINOX

Stargaze in the Garden with astronomers from the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society as the seasons shift. “The hike will be between 1.5 and 3 miles long all along mostly paved flat ground. The hike is slow paced and will have several stops along the way.” Friday, Sept. 22, 7-9 p.m.; $5, stroller- and pet-friendly; Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center, 1805 N. 30th St.; register at tinyurl.com/ gog-equinox; 719-634-6666, programs@ gardenofgods.com.

Leaf-peepin’ predictions: Check out this year’s fall foliage prediction map at smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map. Fox31 Denver’s Colorado map is at tinyurl. com/Colo-peepin.

Mueller State Park is a prime September destination for locals looking for golden aspens. See facebook.com/MuellerStateParkCo for this month’s leaf-focused visitor programs; entrance fee required, 21045 CO-67, Divide; 719-687-2366.

KIDS & FAMILY

Get Out, Get Healthy: Panorama Adventure Stroll, a free event encouraging families to explore Panorama Park, with scavenger hunts; activity stations with experts from Children’s Hospital Colorado; maps, stickers and info from the Trails & Open Space Coalition; and a visit from Ziggy the Switchbacks mascot. Saturday, Sept. 16, 9-11 a.m.; registration advised at tinyurl.com/Panorama-stroll.

Back-to-School Culture Fest, with Lil’ Miss Story Hour and the Knob Hill Urban Arts District — “we will bring the heart of Knob Hill Urban Arts District to life for one magical day with live art, workshops, speakers, vendors, food trucks, a silent art auction, giveaways, and more.” Saturday, Sept. 16, 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; 2331 E. Platte Ave.; tinyurl.com/23-culture.

No Child Left Behind at Cheyenne Mountain State Park, part of the nationwide movement promoting outdoor

SPECIAL EVENT

Your guide to events in the Pikes Peak region CALENDAR

singers. Enjoy Native food, arts, crafts, and educational exhibits.” Saturday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Rock Ledge Ranch, 3105 Gateway Road; tinyurl.com/RLR23Powwow.

Pawtoberfest Dog Walk and Beer Fest, an annual fundraiser for Humane Society Pikes Peak Region. Includes “a craft brews and spirits tasting, a 2-mile dog walk, more than 75 sponsors and petfriendly vendors, 30+ beverage partners, music, agility demonstrations, pet contests, activities for the whole family and

plenty of scrumptious food from local food trucks!” Saturday, Sept. 16, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Bear Creek Regional Park (east and west), 245 Bear Creek Road; tinyurl.com/ hsppr-paws2.

September Lights Festival, water lantern decoration and launch, lantern parade, doggy-light costume contest, music, food trucks and marshmallow roasting. Friday, Sept. 22, 4:30-9 p.m.; Fox Run Regional Park, 2110 Stella Drive;

stock.adobe.com

Fiestas Patrias, “a two-day family festival in the heart of downtown Colorado Springs, bringing people from diverse Hispanic origins to create a cultural fusion! This full-day event will provide live music & dancing, Mexican wrestling, vendor booths, and plenty of food.” Saturday, Sept. 16, noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 17, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Alamo Park, 215 S. Tejon St.; fiestaspatriascolorado.com.

exploration for K-12 kids. Hands-on activities that teach about Colorado’s natural resources; make pinecone bird feeders; and try your skill at archery. Saturday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; free, but parks pass required; Lime Kiln Parking Lot, 410 JL Ranch Heights; 719-576-2016, cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/CheyenneMountain.

LEGO Habitats, let your creativity run wild! Join Bricks & Minifigs to learn about LEGOs’ commitment to sustainable practices and the environmental advantages of re-use. Saturday, Sept. 30, 9-10:30 a.m.; 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and 1-2:30 p.m.; $7/ person per session, prepaid (custom Bear Creek Nature Center minifig included); register at tinyurl.com/Bear-legos. Bear Creek Nature Center, 245 Bear Creek Road, tinyurl.com/epco-fun.

What Lives in Fountain Creek? Join Nature Center staff and a fish biologist — using a variety of tools and techniques — to explore the fish, frogs, turtles, macroinvertebrates and more that

live in the creek, Saturday, Sept. 23; $5, $4/member, prepaid; Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Peppergrass Lane, Fountain, tinyurl.com/epco-fun.

MUSEUM EXHIBIT

Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight is “the story of African Americans who, despite facing tremendous racial barriers, attained amazing achievements in aviation history. ... stories and artifacts from local Tuskegee Airmen will be on exhibit to highlight the many Black heroes in our community.” Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; free; Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Annex, Plaza of the Rockies, 121 S. Tejon St., #100; cspm.org.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Annual Powwow, “will include various exhibition dances, Specials (contests) for youths and adults. Meet this year’s Princess, and enjoy the Powwow drums and

Adrianne Chalepah headlining

featuring Jordan Jayi and Joshua Emerson

30 West Dale St. Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Gene Sanchez

President and CEO of Zehcnas

Hear Gene talk about his pathway to success as a business leader who is driven by dedication to his community, his family and his faith.

Oct. 11

4:30 - 6 p.m.

ALMAGRE

2460 Montebello Square Drive

Scan QR code to purchase tickets or visit CSBJ.com/events

Presented by:

CALENDAR

➔ continued from p. 27

communityservices.elpasoco.com/september-fest.

WestFest 2023, with activities for all ages, a potluck community picnic and live music by Chauncy Crandall, presented by the Organization of Westside Neighbors and Westside Community

Center. Saturday, Sept. 23, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; 1628 W. Bijou St.; tinyurl.com/WFest23.

Prohibition at the Castle, 1920s-style speakeasy with dancing, live music and hors d’oeuvres (dress for the era!). Saturday, Sept. 23, 6-8:30 p.m.; Miramont Castle, 9 Capitol Hill Ave., Manitou Springs; tinyurl.com/roaring20s-manitou.

stock.adobe.com

CREEK WEEK 2023

Start planning now for the 10th anniversary Creek Week Cleanup, Sept. 30-Oct. 8. You (and your friends, school group, family, etc.) can volunteer to clean up litter along creeks and trails and in parks and open spaces throughout the Fountain Creek watershed — from Palmer Lake down to Pueblo. Sign up at fountain-crk.org/creek-week-2023-registration. See tinyurl.com/creek-week-23 for an events list and stay tuned for more.

FROM SERVICEMEMBER TO CYBERSECURITY EXPERT

LAGARIAN S., CLASS OF ‘14 & ‘19

National University’s flexible online options and convenient course formats enable you to fit education around your military service.

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LOWDOWN

By Jim Hightower jimhightower.com

PLAYING MONOPOLY with

T-Mobile

AFEW WEEKS AGO, T-Mobile (my cell phone provider) pinged me with a rude message: Henceforth we will screw you out of an extra $5 a month.

WHAT?! Had I done something wrong? No. Would I be getting some added benefit for my five bucks? No. It seems that T-Mobile bean counters have just arbitrarily decided that we customers who use credit cards to pay our phone bills online must pay an extra fiver each month as a payment processing fee. Yes, we’re to pay them to take our money. Bonnie and Clyde were not that brazen!

You can avoid the add-on IF you give your bank account number to T-Mobile, allowing it (and who knows who else?) to have direct access to your personal stash of cash. Uh… NO! Tut-tut say the T-Mobilers, your private info is perfectly secure with us. Do they think we have sucker-wrappers around our heads? Just eight months ago, their “security system” let thieves swipe the personal data of 37 million customers, including names, account numbers, addresses, phone numbers and birthdates.

Well, sniff “free-market” ideologues, just switch to a competitor. But AT&T, Verizon, etc. have all adopted the exact same thieving “give-us-your-bankaccount” scheme. Phone service today is a shared monopoly, not a free market, and it’s now copycatting airlines, banks and other monopolistic profiteers that constantly fabricate add-ons and pricing gimmicks to gouge consumers.

T-Mobile rose to telecom prominence a decade ago by attacking its rivals for overcharging and abusing consumers. It ran ads publicly demanding that AT&T and others stop their greedy practices “because it’s the right thing to do.” But now that it’s a monopolistic giant, T-Mobile’s new line is that might makes right, so it has joined the industry’s consumer-abuse greed game.

MEANWHILE, ON RAILROAD tracks near you...

Today’s train robbers don’t need masks or guns, for they are railroad executives wearing $3,000 suits and robbing us by railroading the political system.

With their gangs of lobbyists and hopper cars of campaign cash, they get Congress to do their dirty work, gutting

public safety protections and muting railway unions. Thus, rich investors get richer, while regular people are hit by an astonishing level of derailments, injuries, destruction… and death. Witness the horrific wreck of Norfolk Southern’s nearly 2-mile-long toxic freight train this year in East Palestine, Ohio.

This was a product of the industry’s prevailing ethic of profit over public safety, and the American people were outraged by the greed, demanding fundamental reform. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg weighed in, correctly noting that calls to protect the public have too often “given way to industry pushback and inaction. That must not happen this time,” he emphatically declared.

A key reform he pushed was to allow rail employees to report safety dangers without fear of retribution from the corporate hierarchy. Such a “close call” reporting program has existed for years — but participation was voluntary. Hello — out of some 800 American railroad corporations, just 27 chose to volunteer, and all of the Big Eight freight giants (including Norfolk Southern) refused to join.

In the media glare of the East Palestine catastrophe, however, nearly all pledged to support the employee reporting reform. But that was then. Today, the media focus on East Palestine is gone, and the railroad lobbyists and their hopper cars of corporate cash have rolled back into Washington, watering down Buttigieg’s safety agreement to nothing.

And that’s why America’s train system won’t run right until we fix the crooked political money system that derails progress.

Just eight months ago, their ‘security system’ let thieves swipe the personal data of 37 million customers.

YOUR TURN

By Rev. Jennifer Smith Williamson

WHY I CARE SO MUCH ABOUT D11’S SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION

And why I hope you will too

IT’S BEEN A LONG TWO YEARS OF SITTING through school board meetings.

It started when some teachers suggested I run for the Colorado Springs District 11 Board of Education. That was the impetus for a dive into the world of local public education. I researched, toured schools, asked questions, joined committees and scoured the Colorado Department of Education website. If I was going to represent the community, I wanted to be as prepared as possible. Turns out, that mattered little for too many voters who only wanted to know how I felt about critical race theory and masks.

After I lost the election, I was concerned about the direction our district was headed with the new board — one that was heavily influenced by partisan ideologies and determined to ensure that their personal religious and political beliefs became district policy.

I am a parent of two D11 students. I want them to enjoy the same benefits of public education that I did: wonderful teachers, lasting friendships, critical thinking skills, and the ability to express themselves through writing and speaking. I also want them to have advanced knowledge in math, science, reading and writing. I do not want their public education experience

to be marred by a mass teacher exodus (last year over 100 teachers resigned in D11 not counting retirements), threats of censorship, baseless distrust of teachers, and the creation of a culture that excludes and discriminates against students. I do not want them to miss out on scholarship opportunities (as we are seeing in Woodland Park) because they are given a curriculum that is not properly accredited. In short, I want them and every student to have a good school experience. Sometimes I feel discouraged. I have heard endless board member speeches filled with divisive language and inflammatory rhetoric and endless speeches in which board members applauded themselves for being the saviors of our district (all the while making disparaging remarks about teachers). I have engaged in productive dialogue with the superintendent of D11 and the leaders of the teachers’ association. I have sat through public comments where people who do not live in our district spew hatred, bigotry and partisan talking points. I have watched students bravely give their public comments, begging the board to not cause further harm on their classmates — who have been ridiculed by hurtful memes posted on social media by current board members. I have listened to teachers asking for

the respect that their experience and education should earn them. And I have felt frustrated by the ways in which data is twisted to benefit the political aspirations of board members.

But, all the while, I have been an active volunteer for the district. What I see is teachers who care deeply and truly want to make a positive impact in the lives of their students. I see parents who are working hard to make ends meet and provide their children with the opportunity to succeed. I see administrators working to improve our schools and stop the enrollment and achievement declines. We have had some successes for which certain board members are quick to take credit , but we are not near where we were before 2020. We have work to do, as parents, community members and students.

I am deeply saddened by the many failings that will impact the world we leave for our children: environmental devastation, school shootings, increasing mental health struggles and more. Can we please come together and focus on the students? Can we please ensure that every student has access to quality public education by supporting our teachers, unifying our community and valuing all students in their uniqueness?

In short, will you please care?

This November, there are four of seven seats up for election on the D11 School Board. I challenge you to look past the rhetoric and massive amounts of money coming in from people outside the district and vote for the candidates who are rational, compassionate and care deeply about public education. The teacher supported candidates in D11 are: Rachel Paul, Shay Dabney, Kate Singh and Darleen Daniels. Please turn in your ballot and if you aren’t sure who to vote for, ask a student, a teacher, a PTA president or a SAC chair. Take the time to understand what is truly happening and the gravity of the situation. Take time to listen to the people who are investing their time and energy into a better future for our kids, which is a better future for our world.

Rev. Jennifer Smith Williamson is the youth pastor at Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and a D11 parent. Last month she became campaign manager for Rachel Paul, a former high school principal and special education teacher who is running for election to the D11 Board of Education.

I do not want their public education experience to be marred by a mass teacher exodus.

PUZZLES

All words to be constructed pertain to the topic to the right. To your advantage one word has already been traced. You must trace the three remaining words, using only the letters designated by the darkened circles. Words may begin and end from either column but each letter can only be used once.

Each puzzle has a difficulty rating (right). Four stars signify the highest degree of difficulty.

Given to the right are the point values for each word. Your words must correctly match these point values.

MINI SUDOKU X

SUDOKU X

rhyming attraction in the city center of Galway, Ireland

6 Boomer, for short?

7 Climate

8 Footwear brand  9 Blended numbers

11 Grand Prix competitor, e.g.

12 Prosperous period 13 “You got it!”

15 Company for a king or queen 24 Confirm 26 Joel who once played Wyatt Earp in film 27 France’s ___ de Loire 28 African capital on its own gulf 29 Products touted in some email scams 30 No longer able to get out 31 Iconic 28-Across

WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

Sounds like a joke

Barbara Haverly, 62, of Mount Dora, Florida, was running a routine errand when things suddenly got out of hand, The Washington Post reported on Aug. 23. Haverly had stopped at the city library to return a book, but the line was rather long, so she dropped it into a drop box as she’d done many times before. But as she pulled out her hand, she felt a sharp pain in her left middle finger. The top of the finger, starting just below her fingernail, had been torn off. “I was in shock,” she said. Library staff called 911, and one employee got into the book box to retrieve the top of her finger. Doctors performed surgery but were unable to reattach the fingertip. Haverly is still dealing with the aftermath of the incident; she said she is depressed and can no longer do yoga or play the ukulele. Meanwhile, the library has placed a sign over the box that reads, “Please do not place your hand inside this book drop.”

News you can use

Back off that accelerator if you’re driving through Coffee City, Texas, about three hours north of Houston. Why? The town, with about 250 residents, has 50 fulland part-time police officers, KHOU-TV reported on Aug. 30. The town’s budget reveals that it collected more than $1 million in court fines in 2022, which were the result of more than 5,100 citations the officers wrote. And there’s a tantalizing twist: Most of Coffee City’s officers had been suspended, demoted, termi-

PUZZLE ANSWERS

nated or discharged from previous law enforcement jobs, for reasons including excessive force, public drunkenness and association with known criminals. “I’ve never seen anything like that in my professional career, and I’ve seen a lot,” said Greg Fremin, a retired Houston Police Department captain. But Coffee City’s police chief, JohnJay Portillo, disagrees: “There’s more to just what’s on paper,” he said. “I try to look at the good in everybody and I believe everybody deserves an opportunity.” Even so, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement has an open investigation into the tiny community’s big law presence.

The passing parade

Lee Meyer of Neligh, Nebraska, altered his Ford sedan a few years back, cutting out half the roof and the passenger-side door and adding a farm gate, so that he could drive his Watusi bull in the Kolach Days Parade in Verdigre. (A Watusi bull, for you non-Nebraskans, has large, long horns, similar to a Texas Longhorn.) The bull, Howdy Doody, hitched another ride with Meyer on Aug. 30 on U.S. 275, but the Norfolk police weren’t having it, People reported: “The officer performed a traffic stop and addressed some traffic violations that were occurring with that particular situation,” Capt. Chad Reiman said. “I don’t know why he was doing it that day. I can honestly say that I haven’t seen anything like that before.” Meyer was asked to leave the city and return home with Howdy Doody.

CHESS QUIZ w________w ásdwdrdsd] àdpdsGk0p] ßpdwds0sd] Þ)sdbds)w] Ýsds)w)sd] Üdsdsdsdr] ÛsdsdRdsd] Údsds$wIs] sÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈs

BLACK WINS THE BISHOP

Ýwdn)sdRd] Üds)sds!P] ÛPdBdwdPd] Údsdw$sIs] sÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈs

w________w árdwdqdsi]

CHESS QUIZ

OFFICIALS IN NEW DELHI, INDIA, WERE PREPARING FOR LAST week’s G20 summit, and no detail was left unaddressed, Reuters reported. For example: Rhesus monkeys are a menace on many of the city’s streets, often attacking pedestrians. The monkeys cannot be harmed or removed by law, so the government installed life-size cutouts of langurs — bigger primates with black faces — around the city to scare the monkeys away. The New Delhi Municipal Council has also employed “30 to 40” people who mimic the langurs’ sounds so that the monkeys would believe they are real.

Hint: Eliminate a defender.

Solution: 1. ... Rh1ch! 2. Kf2 Rxe1 (followed by ... Rxe7) [Ssonko-Shankland ‘14].

WHITE HAS A CRUSHER

Hint: Target the bishops.

Colorado Springs Chess Club

Solution: 1. Bf6!, (threatens Bxg7ch, etc.). If ... Bxf6, 2. Qxh7 mate! [from BacallaoBogner ‘14].

Tuesdays 7-10PM • Acacia Apts 104 E Platte • 685-1984

w________w árdwdrisd] àdsdwdpgp] ßsdwdwdsd] Þdw0sdwdN] Ýwdndwdwd] Üdpdwdsdw] ÛP)Bdw)P)] Ú$wGsdKdR] sÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈs

BLACK’S BEST MOVE?

Hint: Better than ... bxc2.

Solution: 1. ... Rxa2! If 2. Rxa2, ... bxa2 (followed by ... a1=Q). If instead, 2. Rb1, ... cxb2! etc. [Hoff-Olsen 1999].

ÛP)Pdwdwd] ÚdKdwdwdR]

WHITE WINS A PIECE

Hint: Key is a double threat.

Solution: 1. Qe5! (threatening both 2. Qxe6 and 2. h6!).

Find the familiar phrase, saying or name in this arrangement of letters.

Photo illustration using stock.adobe.com

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Virgo writer Caskie Stinnett lived on Hamloaf, a small island off the coast of Maine. He exulted in the fact that it looked “the same as it did a thousand years ago.” Many of the stories he published in newspapers featured this cherished home ground. But he also wandered all over the world and wrote about those experiences. “I travel a lot,” he said. “I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” You Virgos will make me happy in the coming weeks if you cultivate a similar duality: deepening and refining your love for your home and locale, even as you refuse to let your life be disrupted by routine.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): My hitchhiking adventures are finished. They were fun while I was young, but I don’t foresee myself ever again trying to snag a free ride from a stranger in a passing car. Here’s a key lesson I learned from hitchhiking: Position myself in a place that’s near a good spot for a car to stop. Make it easy for a potential benefactor to offer me a ride. Let’s apply this principle to your life, Libra. I advise you to eliminate any obstacles that could interfere with you getting what you want. Make it easy for potential benefactors to be generous and kind. Help them see precisely what it is you need.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In your history of togetherness, how lucky and skillful have you been in synergizing love and friendship? Have the people you adored also been good buddies? Have you enjoyed excellent sex with people you like and respect? According to my analysis of the astrological omens, these will be crucial themes in the coming months. I hope you will rise to new heights and penetrate to new depths of affectionate lust, spicy companionship and playful sensuality. The coming weeks will be a good time to get this extravaganza underway.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Is it ever morally permissible to be greedily needy? Are there ever times when we deserve total free-

dom to feel and express our voracious longings? I say yes. I believe we should all enjoy periodic phases of indulgence — chapters of our lives when we have the right, even the sacred duty, to tune in to the full range of our quest for fulfillment. In my astrological estimation, Sagittarius, you are beginning such a time now. Please enjoy it to the max! Here’s a tip: For best results, never impose your primal urges on anyone; never manipulate allies into giving you what you yearn for. Instead, let your longings be beautiful, radiant, magnetic beacons that attract potential collaborators.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Here’s a Malagasy proverb: “Our love is like the misty rain that falls softly but floods the river.” Do you want that kind of love, Capricorn? Or do you imagine that a more boisterous version would be more interesting — like a tempestuous downpour that turns the river into a torrential surge? Personally, I encourage you to opt for the misty rain model. In the long run, you will be glad for its gentle, manageable overflow.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): According to the Bible’s book of Matthew, Jesus thought it was difficult for wealthy people to get into heaven. If they wanted to improve their chances, he said they should sell their possessions and give to the poor. So Jesus might not agree with my current oracle for you. I’m here to tell you that every now and then, cultivating spiritual riches dovetails well with pursuing material riches. And now is such a time for you, Aquarius. Can you generate money by seeking enlightenment or doing God’s work? Might your increased wealth enable you to better serve people in need? Should you plan a pilgrimage to a sacred sanctuary that will inspire you to raise your income? Consider all the above, and dream up other possibilities, too.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean author Art Kleiner teaches the art of writing to nonwriters. He says this: 1) Tell your listeners the image you want them to see first. 2) Give them

one paragraph that encapsulates your most important points. 3) Ask yourself, “What tune do you want your audience to be humming when they leave?” 4) Provide a paragraph that sums up all the audience needs to know but is not interesting enough to put at the beginning. I am offering you Kleiner’s ideas, Pisces, to feed your power to tell interesting stories. Now is an excellent time to take inventory of how you communicate and make any enhancements that will boost your impact and influence. Why not aspire to be as entertaining as possible?

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries photographer Wynn Bullock had a simple, effective way of dealing with his problems and suffering. He said, “Whenever I have found myself stuck in the ways I relate to things, I return to nature. It is my principal teacher, and I try to open my whole being to what it has to say.” I highly recommend you experiment with his approach in the coming weeks. You are primed to develop a more intimate bond with the flora and fauna in your locale. Mysterious shifts now unfolding in your deep psyche are making it likely you can discover new sources of soulful nourishment in natural places — even those you’re familiar with. Now is the best time ever to hug trees, spy omens in the clouds, converse with ravens, dance in the mud and make love in the grass.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Creativity expert Roger von Oech says businesspeople tend to be less successful as they mature because they become fixated on solving problems rather than recognizing opportunities. Of course, it’s possible to do both — untangle problems and be alert for opportunities — and I’d love you to do that in the coming weeks. Whether or not you’re a businessperson, don’t let your skill at decoding riddles distract you from tuning in to the new possibilities that will come floating into view.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author Fer-

nando Pessoa wrote books and articles under 75 aliases. He was an essayist, literary critic, translator, publisher, philosopher, and one of the great poets of the Portuguese language. A consummate chameleon, he constantly contradicted himself and changed his mind. Whenever I read him, I’m highly entertained but sometimes unsure of what the hell he means. He once wrote, “I am no one. I don’t know how to feel, how to think, how to love. I am a character in an unwritten novel.” And yet Pessoa expressed himself with great verve and had a wide array of interests. I propose you look to him as an inspirational role model in the coming weeks, Gemini. Be as intriguingly paradoxical as you dare. Have fun being unfathomable. Celebrate your kaleidoscopic nature.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” Cancerian author Henry David Thoreau said that. I don’t necessarily agree. Many of us might prefer love to truth. Plus, there’s the inconvenient fact that if we don’t have enough money to meet our basic needs, it’s hard to make truth a priority. The good news is that I don’t believe you will have to make a tough choice between love and truth any time soon. You can have them both! There may also be more money available than usual. And if so, you won’t have to forgo love and truth to get it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Before she got married, Leo musician Tori Amos told the men she dated, “You have to accept that I like ice cream. I know it shows up on my hips, but if you can’t accept that, then leave. Go away. It is non-negotiable.” I endorse her approach for your use in the coming weeks. It’s always crucial to avoid apologizing for who you really are, but it’s especially critical in the coming weeks. And the good news is that you now have the power to become even more resolute in this commitment. You can dramatically bolster your capacity to love and celebrate your authentic self exactly as you are.

1.47 acre lot at end of quiet cul de sac with sweeping unobstructed mountain & Pikes Peak views. Flat at front of lot & moving back the lot gently slopes to allow for a walkout. Backs and sides to open space. Easy commute to both Colorado Springs or Pueblo. MLS# 5628454

Sand Creek Commons - $290,000

Upper level 1357 sq. ft. 3 bed, 2 bath condo backing to large common lawn area. Central air. Gas log fireplace. Brand new flooring and fresh paint throughout. Open & bright. Move-in ready. Low monthly HOA. MLS# 5866091

5 lots in classy upscale subdivision of 37 homes. Complex has clubhouse with pool table, kitchen, meeting area, & indoor pool. Build to meet HOA guidelines which include stucco exterior, stucco privacy walls & tile roof. Can buy 1 to 5 lots (package deals). Each lot can be sold individually for $35,000 each. Nice area in walking distance to shopping & dining yet quiet & tucked away. MLS# 5194232

Aurora - $1,269,000

Stunning stucco and brick 6963 sq ft custom 2-story home on over 1/3 acre private lot in coveted neighborhood! 5 beds, 6 baths, study, 4-car attached garage, & amazing 13,504 sq ft lot. Curved open staircase. Gourmet kitchen. Formal living & dining rooms. Oversized master suite. 3 fireplaces. Wet bars. Trex deck and balcony. Solar panels. Cherry Creek schools. Close to Buckley SFB, golfing, shopping, dining, parks, trails, pools, club house, playground, and tennis courts. MLS# 2560918

YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT REAL ESTATE

1601 N Billy the Kid Lane Pueblo West - $28,500

1400 Tierra Berienda Drive

Pueblo - $110,000

156 Ellers Grove

6943 S Picadilly Street

Focus Residential Real Estate

Shot in the dark

Experts have hard time predicting local housing market

BY AMANDA MILLER LUCIANO

National news on the housing market suggests it’s still surging, with regular bidding wars and renewed price jumps that have ended a five-month decline in average home prices.

Locally, the market is more nuanced.

“It’s unpredictable,” says Amy KunceMartinez, broker owner of The Cutting Edge Realtors.

She recently listed two properties: a house Downtown that she expected would sell quickly with multiple offers; and a tract home in the Pine Creek neighborhood where she told the sellers to expect closer to the 29 average days on market that the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors reported for August.

But that home in Pine Creek saw multiple offers and sold for $30,000 more than the asking price, while the house Downtown took a couple weeks to go under contract.

“This market is harder to predict,” Kunce-Martinez says. “It’s hard to set the right expectations for sellers.”

That’s a sentiment echoed by multiple

area agents, who say historic pricing and days on market data are not as reliable in today’s market.

“There’s little rhyme or reason to it,” says Susanna Haynie, broker owner of Colorado Real Estate Group. “You can have a house that’s priced right and it should sell, and it sits — or the other way around.”

The median home price in August was $480,000. That’s down less than a tenth of a percentage point from $480,592 in August of 2022. However, the average sales price was up 4.4 percent year over year in August from $534,818 to $553,959, according to PPAR.

Median sales prices are considered to be a more accurate indicator, narrowing in on the middle of the market. Average sales prices, on the other hand, can be skewed by outlying extreme lows or highs.

“I do think the higher end of the market is moving more than the lower end,” Kunce-Martinez says. “Interest rates have a bigger impact on the lower-end buyers where every penny really counts. At the high end, there is still a lot of cash.”

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate was around 3 percent average in 2021 and surged rapidly to near 7 percent in 2022 before leveling in the mid-6 percent range. It surged again in August to more than 7

Average and Median Sales Prices

percent and was at 7.62 percent average as of Sept. 9, according to Bankrate.com.

“This is the most difficult time in a generation to buy a house,” says Justin Harward, a mortgage broker with Low Cost Mortgage. “Over the last, let’s say five years, the home prices have doubled. Over the last 18 months, mortgage rates have doubled. It’s unaffordable.”

He provided some math for a fictional homebuyer purchasing a $350,000 house.

“First, they would have to find a house,” he says. “Finding something for $350,000 would be a challenge in Colorado Springs.”

There were 77 single-family homes for sale in the city that would allow conventional mortgage financing as of Sept. 9, according to PPAR.

If this buyer were real, they would likely not have 20 percent to put down. So Harward calculated the purchase with a 10 percent down payment, which would still be $35,000.

With excellent credit, the buyer might qualify for a 7.25 percent interest rate. The continued on p. 38 ➔

It’s hard to set the right expectations for sellers.

— Amy Kunce-Martinez

Do you know a woman creating a legacy of leadership in our community?

A change-maker, an advocate, someone making a real difference in the lives of those around her? Nominate her now as a 2023 Woman of Influence.

NOMINATIONS DUE

BY OCT. 11

Visit csbj.com/nominate or scan the QR code to nominate

5 Questions: Justin Trudeau Organization

BY KATHERINE ATHERTON

of Westside Neighbors

Justin Trudeau remembers it well.

“We were driving around and the Westside just called to us — the character of the housing and the diversity of it,” he says.

That was 19 years ago, when Trudeau was new to Colorado Springs; he’s lived on the Westside ever since. Today, he balances his work as a claims adjuster with his role as president of the Orga nization of Westside Neigh

bors, which represents 8,500 households and works to organize, advocate and build community for all Westsiders. WestFest is one of those community-building events — it’s organized by OWN and hosted by the Westside Community Center, and takes

Can you define the Westside for us — and what attracted you to the area?

I think everybody has a dif-

A neighborhood that is connected within itself is much more likely to be resilient.

Katherine Atherton

ferent definition of the Westside. There’s technically a Westside neighborhood within the city’s neighborhood, but the Westside — as we define it at the Organization of Westside Neighbors — is pretty much from I-25 over to Manitou, down to Gold Hill Mesa and the Bott neighborhood, and we even have about half the Pleasant Valley neighborhood covered. So we’ve got about 8,500 households within the territory. We have unique access to a lot of the natural features that people come here for. We’ve got Red Rocks [Open Space], Garden of the Gods, of course — we’ve got really good access. We’re a neighborhood where you run into people who have been here their whole lives. Then you look at the demographics, where we have really high educational attainment, along with very low educational attainment. ... We’ve got a lot of variety. You’ve also got various layers of history. You have the classic Victorians; the mid-century moderns are mixed in there as well; and then interspersed here and there are the buildings that have come in and replaced old buildings or have just filled up that lot that has been vacant ever since time immemorial. So it’s got this great, distinct variety to it that I really like, and I think people who identify as Westsiders are kind of the classic Colorado libertarian. They want to do what they want to and as long as what you’re doing doesn’t interfere, everybody gets along really well.

Tell us about the Organization of Westside Neighbors and the goals behind WestFest.

The Organization of Westside Neighbors was started in the late ’70s, and at that time, Old Colorado City was fairly blighted. So the purpose of it was to help address those issues. The boundaries of the organization were really looking to bring resources and attention to the neighborhood, and so that’s exactly what they did. Mainly it’s been about making the Westside neighborhood viable, and better. We always say, ‘The Westside is the best side,’ and we’re working to make sure it stays that way.

Really, what we’re trying to do with WestFest is rebuild the sense of community. I think all neighborhoods have things that are going to come up — natural disasters, economic forces, wildfires, hail storms, all those various things — but with global warming, the certainty of those things coming to us are greater. And a neighborhood that is connected within itself is much more likely to be resilient and take care of itself. How do issues related to homelessness on the Westside affect your work with the community?

It’s important to remember that homelessness is a problem that has many victims, and it starts with the folks who are homeless to begin with. But then, along with this crisis of homelessness, we have crime and

vagrancy and, I guess, littering — for lack of a better word — that causes problems.

We have a very compassionate Westside. Around the Westside Community Center, one of the top valued services is the food pantry that’s operated by Westside Cares. There’s a ton of compassion on the West side for all of the issues around homeless ness — but people also have to deal with the consequences of it. I think that it’s important, when we do address homeless ness, to keep in mind the complex nature of the problem.

Talk about the challenges that face a small volunteer-run operation like OWN. The challenge is always finding good people — or volunteers at all, for that mat ter — to help out. With OWN in particular, because we’re established and we have a long history, I think there’s an expectation that we’re funded really well and that we have more active volunteers than we do. As a result, it’s harder to press that need and get people involved and helping out. We don’t get a lot of funding. We make a small amount from a silent auction that we do as part of WestFest, but other than that, it’s donations. Donations and a little bit of merchandise. ...

We used to have a newsletter that was funded by a grant program, but that same grant program no longer funds those types of things, like newsletters. So we’re really stuck with what we can do with an email newsletter and Facebook — low-cost methods that you can use online. That creates challenges because not everybody has the bandwidth to read emails or keep up with another group on Facebook, whereas if you can actually get something into somebody’s mailbox, often you’ll get their undivided attention for at least two minutes.

As Colorado Springs grows and changes, what are the specific challenges of representing the needs of a diverse community of 8,500 households?

One of the biggest challenges we have is, as the city as a whole grows, how does that affect our neighborhood? When we expand our city, and therefore all of our infrastructure, that means there’s less for established neighborhoods. When we invest it out east, it diverts resources and attention away from established neighborhoods like the Westside and diverts it to more expensive-to-maintain roads, more expensiveto-maintain water infrastructure. The city ends up paying for it — and they’re paying for these big investments out east instead of investing in the city’s core. ...

One of the big challenges [is] talking to people about how we’re going to grow and keeping that conversation on track and making sure people are positive — because it’s going to change no matter what. We’ve just got to figure out how we answer that. n CSBJ

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mortgage insurance — since the buyer is putting less than 20 percent down — would add $74 a month to the payment. Principal, interest and mortgage insurance would equate to a $2,222 monthly payment. Adding insurance and taxes for an estimated $4,500 a year in escrow makes the monthly mortgage payment $2,597.

In order to qualify for the loan, the buyer would have to make a minimum of $75,000 and have little to no other debt, Harward says.

The median household income in Colorado Springs in 2021 was $71,957, according to United States Census data.

“When I talk with sellers, I tell them we’re not battling what the house is worth, but what a buyer can afford,” Kunce-Martinez says. “We can have all the comps in the world to support a price, but people have to be able to pay it.”

She and others say sellers are becoming more accommodating. They’re providing concessions to help buyers buy down interest rates or cover closing costs.

“I have a couple buyers who have gotten amazing deals,” Haynie says.

She had one client who had been shopping for more than two years and ended up getting almost $17,000 in concessions on a $325,000 home.

“There is opportunity in this market for buyers,” Kunce-Martinez says. “For the first time in years, buyers can offer less than the asking price, get concessions, or buy with a contingent sale.”

If interest rates were to fall below 6 percent without another major economic crisis

causing the drop, some agents believe the market would explode with activity again and homes would move as swiftly as they did in 2020 and 2021.

The higher interest rates are building pent-up demand. Homeowners with 3 percent interest rates don’t want to sell, as they would have to buy again with a loan at 7 percent rate or higher, dramatically limiting their buying power. And buyers who would be able to afford a home at a 5.5 percent interest rate, often just can’t at 7.5 percent.

There were 1,407 new listings in August, down almost 22 percent from 1,801 in August 2022. The number of active listings was down 8.3 percent year over year in August from 2,639 to 2,420. Homes were on the market an average of 29 days before going under contract in August; that’s up dramatically from 17 days in August 2022, according to PPAR.

“We actually had more inventory last year,” Haynie says. “It just wasn’t sitting inventory.”

With the number of sales down almost 22 percent year over year, the market feels more sluggish and homes for sale are lingering longer. But inventory is tight.

“I think it’s going to change next year,” Kunce-Martinez says. “It’s an election year and interest rates usually go down in election years. We could see a replay of the market we had the last couple years before interest rates went up.” n CSBJ

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